STATEWIDE ATTITUDES ON TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:

COMMONWEALTH POLL RESULTS

 

SPONSOR:

 

Virginia Department of Transportation

          Contact:  Colin Ceperich, Office of Public Affairs

 

RESEARCH VENDOR:

 

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.  Conducted:  2003

          Contact:  Carolyn Funk, Ph.D., Center for Public Policy

 

OVERALL PURPOSE:

 

This research was designed as a follow-up to the VDOT communications audit conducted in 2001.  It addressed the transportation communication needs of Virginia residents and their response to VDOT communications.

 

Objectives of Research:

 

Ž    Assess how citizens feel about transportation information, particularly in regard to its importance and accessibility

Ž    Identify their sources of transportation information

Ž    Assess how communication needs vary among regions and other subgroups

Ž    Assess the extent to which VDOT information is valued

 

METHODOLOGY:

 

Mode of Data Collection

Telephone survey: VCU Commonwealth Poll

Completed Interviews

800

Survey Population

All adult Virginians living in a cross-section of all Virginia households statewide

Survey Instrument

Questionnaire administered by telephone interviewers

Criteria for Participation

Adult resident of Virginia 18 years of age or older

 

SELECTED KEY FINDINGS:

 

Ž    Transportation information is important to Virginia residents.  Respondents rated the importance of specific topics on a 5-point scale:

­         Weather-related road conditions, 4.2 out of 5

­         Detours and traffic alerts, 4.2

­         Travel information, 3.6

­         New highway projects, 3.6

­         Commuting information, 3.1

Ž    Larger cities tend to place greater importance on commuting information.

Ž    VDOT is the primary source for transportation information in Virginia.  About one-half of Virginians believe that 50% or more of all transportation information originates from VDOT.

Ž    The biggest gap between importance and access is with information regarding detours, alerts and new construction. This information is important to Virginians, but not easily found.

Ž    The web is a key information source for most Virginians except those aged 65 and older.

Ž    Older Virginians are most likely to say that transportation information is important, but tend to have the most difficulty finding it.

Ž    Females and African-Americans also place more emphasis on transportation information and feel they can find it relatively easily.

Ž    Lower income, urban, African-American, persons aged 65+ put the highest premium on transportation information and the most value on VDOT for its information.

Ž    The younger, more educated suburbanites are those least likely to see VDOT as an information source.

 

OTHER FINDINGS/RECOMMENDATIONS:

 

Ž    Implications for the web

-         Continue to refine and speed up traffic/condition information.

-         Promote VirginiaDOT.org to specific audiences.

-         Continue to improve project information on the site and promote to media.

Ž    Implications for specific target audiences

-         Clarify VDOT’s responsibilities in urban areas.

-         Collect more focus group research specific to lower income, urban, African-American, age 65+ segments.

Ž    Implications for media relations

-         Focus media relations on publications and news stations that reach key audiences.

-         Promote VirginiaDOT.org to emphasize traffic, conditions and project information.

-         Use research results in making points when appropriate.

Ž    Implications for outreach

-         Focus on hard to reach audiences.

-         Use VirginiaDOT.org as a tool for certain audiences.

-         Continue to improve project/study information on specific sites and promote to media.

Ž    Implications for brands

-         Continue to push for consistent use of logos and terminology.

-         Insure that brand-related terms appeal to targeted audiences.

-         Promote VirginiaDOT.org frequently throughout the state.

-         Look to associate Smart Travel (511) brand with traffic conditions and directions.

Ž    Conclusions

-          These data are consistent with other VDOT research:  Media coverage analysis and web trends

-          To better understand the implications of and how to implement specific findings, additional research is needed in regard to specific channels (i.e., web).

-          This research is helping to guide VDOT’s strategic communications planning.

 

AVAILABLE DOCUMENTS:

 

General outline of study including survey methodology and survey results

PowerPoint Presentation

 

KEY WORDS:

 

communication, information, media, public outreach, web