There is a lack of up-to-date information on travel characteristics of activity centers, particularly the large-scale, multi-use suburban centers that have been developed recently. These data include trip generation rates, travel modes, trip purpose, trip length, parking characteristics, pedestrian activity, capture rate (i.e., proportion of trips attracted to the development from traffic normally passing by the site), intra-site vehicle movements, hourly variations, and vehicle occupancy.

The objective of this project was to develop a comprehensive data base on travel characteristics for various types of large-scale, multi-use suburban activity centers. Representative trip generation rates and other travel characteristics were determined for use by others in analyzing the traffic impacts of such activity centers on the transportation system. This research was limited to activity centers with over 5 million square feet of existing floor space and that lie outside of the CBD.

All research has been completed, and the final report has been published as NCHRP Report 323, "Travel Characteristics of Large-Scale Suburban Activity Centers."