Section Page

BACKGROUND & PURPOSE................................................................... 2

METHODOLOGY & PROCEDURES............................................................ 5

KEY FINDINGS.................................................................................. 7

Residents' Current Views of Virginia's Transportation System....................... 7

Assessment of Nine Transportation Values............................................ 13

Assessment of Six Transportation Goals............................................... 16

Assessment of Alternative Transportation Visions................................... 21

SUMMARY..................................................................................... 24

APPENDIX................................................................................... ..27

Demographic Profile of Respondents

Tables

Verbatim responses to open-ended questions

Questionnaire

BACKGROUND & PURPOSE

VTrans2025, the Commonwealth of Virginia's statewide long-range multi-modal transportation plan, is being developed by the Secretary of Transportation through the four state transportation modal agencies - Department of Aviation (DOAV), Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT), Port Authority (VPA), and the Department of Transportation (VDOT). An inventory of transportation issues facing the Commonwealth, evaluation of existing transportation policies, and stakeholder and citizen input are providing the foundation to develop a first-rate, well-balanced, long-range transportation plan that reflects the interests of all parts of the Commonwealth.

This research study is one component of the VTrans2025 plan development process. The purpose of this study is to expand on and test concepts and observations arising from initial public outreach activities carried out by Virginia Tech and Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

This initial outreach effort included six VTrans2025 stakeholder sessions held across the Commonwealth in the summer of 2003. Each session was attended by 20 to 40 regional stakeholders representing a wide variety of interests and organizations in each region. Discussions were also held with attendees at the Virginia Transit Association annual meeting in May and attendees at the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissioner’s annual meeting in July 2003. These stakeholder sessions identified specific values, goals and alternative visions that could guide future transportation planning.

Transportation values included:

· Protection of the environment, such as reducing air and water pollution, or protecting open space

· Ability to move around easier and faster by reducing traffic congestion, reducing travel time, or increasing speed

· Enhanced transportation safety, such as lowering accident rates

· Special needs of transportation-challenged populations, such as the disabled, elderly, or lower income individuals

· Wider range of options, including but not limited to more frequent public transportation service, High Occupancy Vehicle lanes, or park and ride lots

· Transportation services and facilities that support growth of local business and industry

· Better conditions among different types of available transportation choices

· Cost of transportation services to you – implies you personally pay more

· Cost to your local government to subsidize transportation facilities and services

In addition to these nine issues, the state-wide stakeholder sessions identified six transportation goals:

· Safety and security: ensures safe, secure transportation for people and goods

· Program delivery: transportation decisions maximize benefits, and projects are completed on time and on budget

· System efficiency: maintains and preserves Virginia’s existing services and facilities, using state-of-the-art technologies and strategies

· Mobility: presents users with expanded travel choices and assures easy connections between transportation services and facilities

· Economic competitiveness: improves Virginia’s ability to attract and retain business and jobs, and improve access to economic opportunity

· Environmental quality and quality of life: enhances Virginia’s quality of life and the character of its communities

Stakeholders also discussed and ranked four different scenarios in relation to transportation visions:

· Fully integrated: Increase level of investment to expand and fully connect transportation systems and services to assure ease in travel

· Status quo: Continue to plan and invest in transportation needs the same way it has always been done

· Opportunistic: Continue to plan and invest in transportation needs the same way it has always been done, but attempt to get additional funding that may dictate project choices

· Strategic: Make targeted investments by focusing attention on projects felt to be most critical to state and regional priorities

This research study was designed to assess residents’ appreciation, ratings and prioritization of the values, goals and visions put forth by VTrans2025 stakeholders. Specific study objectives:

· Identify and understand residents’ views and perceptions of Virginia’s current transportation system

· Assess the importance of specific perceived transportation needs that will guide the development of Virginia’s long-range transportation plan (“values”)

· Assess residents’ prioritization of transportation goals that will guide the development of Virginia’s long-range transportation plan (“goals”)

· Assess response to alternative visions for Virginia’s long-range transportation plan (“visions”)

Study conclusions point out the extent of agreement or departure from sentiments obtained from the earlier outreach activities and their related conclusions.

In order to better understand the perceptions, expectations and opinions of all residents of the Commonwealth, the study was designed and administered so that statistically meaningful data and insights could be obtained for the Commonwealth as a whole, as well as for four major geographical sub-areas of the Commonwealth: major metropolitan areas, large metropolitan areas, small urban areas, and rural areas. In addition, minority respondent quotas were established to ensure that this study captured the viewpoints of traditionally underrepresented groups so their voices could be heard as the Commonwealth makes future transportation decisions.

This research study was conducted by Southeastern Institute of Research, Inc. as part of the Cambridge Systematics, Inc. work order #4 issued by the Department of Rail and Public Transportation. The SIR team worked closely with representatives from VTrans2025 project team in every phase of this research project.

The overall findings of this study were formally presented to the VTrans2025 Committee on March 18, 2004 in Richmond, Virginia.

METHODOLOGY & PROCEDURES

In order to meet the objectives established for this research, a telephone survey was conducted among residents of Virginia. The sample was selected by random digit dialing (RDD) of all households within selected Virginia counties and cities.

To ensure that all regions of the Commonwealth were represented in this study, interview quotas were established for geographic regions across Virginia. Additionally, quotas were established to ensure that the study captured the viewpoints of diverse ethnic and racial groups. In total, 1,212 interviews were conducted. The following specific quotas were established:

Sub-sample groups: Regions and areas	N	Sub-sample groups: Race and ethnicity	N
Major Metro	400	White, Non-Hispanic	725
Norfolk/Virginia Beach	150	African-American	300
Hampton/Newport News	100	Hispanic	75
Richmond/Petersburg	150	Asian	75
Smaller Metro	100	Other	25
Counties with Independent Cities	100
Rural Areas	200

The survey questionnaire was designed by SIR and submitted to representatives of VTrans2025 for approval prior to conducting any interviews. It was pre-tested prior to actual fielding in order to eliminate confusing questions or wordings, to verify that skip patterns worked correctly and to ensure that the survey met the objectives established for this study.

Interviewing took place between February 9 and March 2, 2004. Interviewers spoke only with adults aged 18 or older, introducing the research as a study about the future of Virginia transportation and conducted on behalf of Virginia’s Secretary of Transportation. Interviews were conducted between 5:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. during the week and 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekends. If necessary, interviewers attempted to reach each telephone number on the sample at least four times on various days.

SIR conducted all interviews from a central CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) telephone bank with direct supervision over all calls. This process resulted in consistently high-quality interviewing as supervisors were immediately available to resolve any questions brought up during interviewing. The use of CATI software ensured identical scripting and skip patterns for all interviews.

Extensive data preparation occurred prior to tabulation, including a series of electronic and manual checks. Both the field services staff and data processing professionals reviewed the data to ensure the highest possible level of accuracy. Project Directors worked with both the VTrans2025 project team and data processing staff to determine the banner points (or cross-tabs) that would segregate the data for this study into the most useful groups for analysis.

The total sample of 1,212 yields a maximum statistical error of ±2.8% at the 95% level of confidence. Thus, if the study were completed 100 times, in 95 of those times the percentage giving a particular answer would be within 2.8 points of the percentage who gave that answer in this study. This is the standard level of precision used in the research industry. The data have been weighted to represent accurately the regional distribution of Virginia’s population.

KEY FINDINGS

Residents’ Current Views of Virginia’s Transportation System

There is opportunity to improve Virginians’ current perceptions of the transportation system.

· Only half of Virginia’s residents view its current transportation system as “excellent” or “good” (49%). Only 7% consider it to be “excellent.” Over one third rate the current system as “fair” (37%), while 12% rate it as “poor.”

· Less than half view the transportation system in their local area as “excellent” or “good” (44%), with only 6% rating the system as “excellent.” About one-third rate their current local transportation system as “fair” (34%), and one-fifth rate it as “poor” (21%).

Chart 1: Current Views of Statewide and Local Transportation Systems

Question 1: Overall, how would you rate the current transportation system when traveling around the state of Virginia?

Question 4: Overall, how would you rate the current transportation system when traveling around your local area?

Ratings vary by Virginia’s many different audiences.

· Mode of travel, for example, affects perspective and rating of local transportation systems. Mass transit/public transportation users view local transportation systems more favorably than others, with almost two-thirds rating their local systems as “excellent” or “good” (63%). Conversely, only two-fifths of residents who drive most often (rather than use public transportation) agree (42%). One-fifth of those who drive most often rate their local transportation systems as “poor” (21%).

Chart 2: Rating Current Local Transportation Systems

Question 4: Overall, how would you rate the current transportation system when traveling around your local area?

· Residents of some regions view their local transportation systems more favorably than residents of other areas. In comparing Northern Virginia, Hampton/Newport News, Richmond/Petersburg and Norfolk/Virginia Beach, residents of the Richmond/Petersburg area rate their local transportation system most favorably. In this area, six in ten rate it as “excellent” or “good” (59%). Residents of Hampton/Newport News rate their system least favorably. In that area, only three in ten (30%) rate their local system favorably. Nearly forty percent of Norfolk/Virginia Beach residents (39%) rate their transportation system favorably. The results for Northern Virginia are comparable. That is, a similar proportion of residents of Northern Virginia (37%) rate their local systems as “excellent” or “good.”

At present, road congestion and safety are top transportation concerns statewide.

· Road congestion is the issue of greatest concern among Virginians, with two-thirds saying it is of high concern (66%). Getting around “safely and easily” (60%) and getting to or performing a job (55%) are also common concerns among Virginians. Half are concerned with having adequate public investment to meet transportation needs (51%) and with having transportation choices (50%). Four in ten are concerned with the ability to make non-work trips (42%) and having transportation connections (42%) (i.e., the ability to transfer from one transportation type to another). Ratings for local area concerns are similar to statewide concerns and are ranked in the same order of concern.

Chart 3: Degree of Concern for Transportation Issues

Questions 3a-g & 6a-g: How much of a concern are different transportation issues to the entire state of Virginia/your local area?

· Virginians place highest priority on roads and highways in regard to the apportioning of transportation funds. An exercise in the research interview asked respondents how they would allocate a transportation budget of $10. Based on this $10 budget to spend on all transportation needs, residents would spend, on average, $3.10 on roads & highways, $2.20 on public transportation, $1.20 each on sidewalks/bike paths, freight, and airports, and $1 on ports.

· Virginians want to expand or improve public transportation (68%) and highways and roads (63%) rather than simply maintaining them. Residents express less concern for other transportation issues. They feel, for example, that other transportation systems need only to be maintained rather than expanded. Almost two-thirds feel that port service and facilities (63%) and airport facilities (64%) need only to be maintained. Similarly, more than half of residents say that sidewalk and bicycle paths (53%) and freight and services and facilities (57%) only need to be maintained.

Chart 4: Expanding Services vs. Maintaining Services

Question 2: Should Virginia spend more money on maintaining or should Virginia spend more on expanding and improving (transportation service)?

There is strong support for making transportation improvements.

· Four-fifths of Virginia’s residents agree that they want safer transportation even if they have to pay more to have it (84%), and they say that they would pay more for improved transportation access for underserved populations (84%). Similarly, they want more convenient roads and less congestion (78%) even if they have to pay more.

· Support for tax increases is strong if guarantees can be made to spend funds solely on transportation-related projects. Three-quarters agree that they would support these tax increases (78%), and almost half say they would strongly agree to support a tax increase on this issue (43%). Only about one in ten says they disagree somewhat (10%) or disagree strongly (11%).

Residents place greatest emphasis on protection of the environment and enhanced safety.

· In terms of importance given to local transportation issues, residents place greatest emphasis on protection of the environment and enhanced safety. About three-quarters said that these are important transportation needs (73% each). Just over two-thirds feel that moving easier and faster (69%) and the special needs of the challenged population (68%) are also important. Six in ten say that services & facilities that support business (61%) and a wider range of options (58%) are important, while just over half say the same about better connections (56%), cost to local government (56%), and cost of services to citizens (55%).

Chart 5: Importance of Local Transportation Issues

Questions 1a-i: Thinking about your own local area’s current transportation needs, how important is (selected issue) to your local area?
Virginia residents may want more involvement in transportation planning.

· Almost half do not believe that transportation decision-makers have adequately considered citizen viewpoints in the development of transportation plans in the past (44%). Only one in ten strongly agrees that decision-makers have adequately considered citizen viewpoints in the development of transportation plans (10%).

8% said “don’t know”

Chart 6: Participation in Transportation Planning

Question 6: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: In the past, transportation decision-makers have adequately considered citizen viewpoints in the development of transportation plans?

Summary of Residents’ Current Views of Virginia’s Transportation System

· Current citizen ratings of Virginia’s transportation system have room for improvement.

· Road congestion and safety are top concerns.

· Residents want available money spent on public transportation, roads and highways.

· Residents are willing to pay taxes if funds are guaranteed to go to specific improvements.

· But, protecting the environment and enhancing safety take precedence over other outcomes.

· Many believe decision-makers have not adequately considered citizen points of view.

Assessment of Transportation Values: Perceived Transportation Needs That Will Guide the Development of Virginia’s Long-Range Transportation Plan

This research assessed citizen response to and evaluation of nine key transportation values. Response to these values is detailed in this section of the report. These nine values are: