Travel habit survey

We conducted a map-based survey about travel destinations, habits and needs for Helsinki region residents between 15 and 29 April 2024. Over 54,000 people visited the survey, with nearly 30,000 people completing it. 

The survey results are summarized on this page. 

HSL’s travel habit survey, what is it about? 

The survey aimed to identify residents’ travel needs and preferences across the HSL area and the surrounding areas. The survey focused on travel habits, destinations and needs. Additionally, it examined people’s experiences of public transport and reasons for traveling. 

We have previously conducted travel surveys in the context of changes to routes or other public transport development projects. The most recent project was the review of Ring I bus routes in the spring of 2023.

In order to improve and plan public transport services, we need a comprehensive understanding of residents’ travel habits across area boundaries. While project-specific surveys have been helpful, they only offer limited insight into mobility because they are focused on specific areas or parts of the route network. This gave rise to the idea of conducting a larger survey that covers the entire area. 

The result pages and reports available here provide summaries of the results and analyses we have carried out so far. They present highlights of the results for HSL’s member municipalities. The municipality-specific subpages contain summaries in Finnish, Swedish and English. 

We also received responses from people living outside the HSL area. In the coming months, we will analyze the data from different perspectives, and use all the accumulated understanding for practical planning work.

How will we use the results? 

The survey and its results will feed directly into HSL's goals and priorities for the current strategy period. The results will help us evaluate the effectiveness of the current route network and provide important baseline data for the development of our services. The results enhance our understanding of the residents' behavior and needs. We will use this information primarily to plan public transport services and tailor them to meet customers’ needs. In addition to work and study-related travel, we want to enhance opportunities for leisure travel. By using the information on travel chains obtained via the survey, we can, for example, identify destinations and route sections that are important for the improvement of public transport services. 

The results have been divided into subpages by municipality and subject area. You can find more detailed information at the bottom and top of the page. 

Welcome to read! 

Summary of results in PDF format (only in Finnish)

What did the survey tell us? 

Nearly half of the respondents (48.5%) usually travel by public transport. One-fifth (19%) of the respondents reported traveling by car and another one-fifth (17%) estimated they use both car and public transport equally.

65% of the respondents use public transport daily or several times a week.

39% of the respondents use car daily or several times a week.

The results show clear differences between the different cities and municipalities.

Helsinki city center and Pasila are highlighted as areas where people travel to work or study from nearly all neighboring municipalities. Leisure activities are also concentrated in the center of Helsinki.

Helsinki

Over 16,000 Helsinki residents completed the survey. Over 60% of them were women. 

Public transport is the main mode of transport for the respondents from Helsinki.Seventy-one percent of the respondents use public transport several times a week or daily. 

Helsinki residents also walk a lot. Helsinki is the only city in the survey where walking is the second most important mode of transport, with 14% of the respondents stating that they mainly travel by foot. 

Although public transport is widely used, about one-third of the respondents said they use the car several times a week. Additionally, 37% of the respondents had not purchased an HSL season ticket during the past 12 months. 

The daily lives of Helsinki residents very much take place in Helsinki.

The respondents from Helsinki were the most satisfied with public transport services and they felt that they had plenty of options to choose from when deciding their mode of transport.

Vantaa

Nearly 4,000 Vantaa residents completed the survey.

Vantaa residents use public transport a lot and it is the main mode of transport for 44% of the respondents. About 60% of the respondents use public transport several times a week or daily.

On the other hand, about one-fourth of the respondents use the car as their primary mode of transport. Approximately the same number of respondents estimated that they use car and public transport equally. Nearly half of the respondents, 48%, travel by car several times a week or daily.

The opinions of the respondents from Vantaa on mobility were similar to those of the respondents overall. Routines, in particular, are considered to influence the choice of mode of transport. Vantaa residents were slightly less satisfied with public transport services than Helsinki residents and the respondents in general but clearly more satisfied than Espoo residents.

Vantaa residents mainly commute to Helsinki city center, and to some extent to Tikkurila and Espoo. About 32% of commutes are made at least partly by car.

Daily errands, children's daily lives as well as recreational sports and outdoor activities are concentrated in Vantaa, particularly in Myyrmäki, Tikkurila and Vantaanportti/Tammisto. By contrast, other leisure activities clearly take place in Helsinki city center. 

Espoo

Slightly over 6,000 Espoo residents completed the survey.

Respondents from Espoo are active users of public transport, but they also use car. About 60% of the respondents use public transport several times a week or daily, but over 60% of the respondents also use the car at least once a week. One out of four respondents use car almost daily.

Work and studies largely take place in Helsinki city center and Otaniemi.

Otherwise, daily life takes place in Espoo’s business districts (Leppävaara, Tapiola, Piispansilta-Matinkylä, Espoonlahti). Leisure activities also take place in these places and in Helsinki city center. 

Espoo residents are relatively unsatisfied with public transport services compared to respondents in general and Helsinki residents. The respondents are particularly dissatisfied with public transport journey times.

Tuusula

In total 551 Tuusula residents completed the survey.

The daily lives of Tuusula residents are spread over a wide area. Work and studies, leisure activities and social visits often take the respondents to Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo.

Schools, childcare facilities, children’s leisure facilities, and day-to-day errands are concentrated in Tuusula and the neighboring towns of Järvenpää and Kerava. Outdoor activities and recreational sports mainly take place in the surroundings of Lake Tuusulanjärvi.

The car is clearly the most used mode of transport in Tuusula. Forty-eight percent of the respondents from Tuusula usually travel by car and only 21% mainly use public transport. The same number of the respondents (i.e. about one-fifth) use car and public transport equally.

Sixty-eight percent of the respondents travel by car daily or several times a week, while 36% use public transport. Most of the respondents had not purchased an HSL season ticket during the past 12 months.

Tuusula residents are more dissatisfied with public transport services and journey times than respondents in general. The lack of options is considered to have a strong impact on the choice of mode of transport.

Kauniainen

About 170 Kauniainen residents completed the survey.

Kauniainen residents mostly travel by car, but they also use public transport.

Fifty-eight percent of the respondents travel by car daily and 63.5% had not purchased an HSL season ticket during the past 12 months. 

The daily lives and leisure time of Kauniainen residents are divided between their hometown, Espoo and central Helsinki. 

Kauniainen residents are slightly more conscious of the environmental impact of their travel than people on average, but at the same time feel that the availability of easy and cheap parking encourages them to choose the car more often. Furthermore, they are less satisfied with public transport services than, for example, Helsinki residents.

Kerava

About 550 Kerava residents completed the survey.

Public transport is the main mode of transport for Kerava residents (37% of respondents). About half of the respondents use public transport several times a week or daily. Nonetheless, 57.5% of the respondents had not purchased an HSL season ticket during the past 12 months. 

Driving is also common, with about half of the respondents traveling by car several times a week or daily. For one out of four of the respondents, the car is the main mode of transport. One-fifth of the respondents estimate they use car and public transport equally.

Overall, the respondents are fairly satisfied with public transport services: Routines are considered to strongly influence the choice of mode of transport.

Like residents of the other surrounding municipalities, Kerava residents also frequently work and study in Helsinki and Vantaa. In particular journeys along railway lines are usually made by public transport, while journeys elsewhere are made by car. 

Otherwise, daily life and leisure time take place in Kerava and the neighboring Tuusula. 

Sipoo

In total 253 Sipoo residents completed the survey.

In Sipoo, the car is the dominant mode of transport Sipoo, with 41% of the respondents indicating that as their main mode of transport. Seventy-two percent of the respondents travel by car several times a week or daily. 

People living in Söderkulla and Nikkilä were particularly active in responding to the survey. Nikkilä is highlighted as a local center where daily life and leisure activities are concentrated. As in the other surrounding municipalities, jobs and leisure activities aside from outdoor recreation and sports are largely concentrated in the Helsinki city centre.

Sipoo residents are fairly dissatisfied with public transport services and feel that they have no choice over their mode of transport. 

Kirkkonummi

About 640 Kirkkonummi residents completed the survey.

In Kirkkonummi, the car is the main mode of transport. Forty percent of respondents stated that the car is their most common way to get around, with 66% traveling by car several times a week or daily.

However, 45% of the respondents also use public transport several times a week or daily, and 23% say they use car and public transport equally.

Most of the respondents from Kirkkonummi feel that they do not have a choice over their mode of transport. Kirkkonummi residents are less satisfied with public transport services than respondents in general.

As in the other surrounding municipalities, Kirkkonummi residents often work in bigger cities like Espoo and in particular Helsinki. Other daily and leisure activities take place in Kirkkonummi, particularly in the town center, Masala and Veikkola. 

Siuntio

In total 114 Siuntio residents completed the survey.

Siuntio residents mostly travel by car, with 81% of the respondents using the car daily or several times a week.

The respondents also use public transport, with 40% of the respondents using public transport several times a week or daily. 

Compared to other municipalities in the HSL area, Siuntio residents feel most strongly that their modal choice is driven by a lack of alternatives. The respondents feel that public transport does not meet their needs. 

Work and studies largely take place in Helsinki city center or Espoo. Daily errands, locations related to children, and outdoor/sports activities are concentrated in Siuntio or the neighboring Kirkkonummi. 