NORTHERN VIRGINIA VANPOOL ADVANTAGE PROGRAM:

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH STUDY

 

 

SPONSOR:

 

Department of Rail & Public Transportation

 

RESEARCH VENDOR:

 

Southeastern Institute of Research, Inc., Richmond, VA.  Conducted: 2004

Contact:  John W. Martin, at Southeastern Institute of Research, Inc.

Telephone:  804-358-8981, ext. 1249

Email:  JWM@SIRresearch.com

 

OVERALL PURPOSE:

 

Determine existing vanpool operators’/drivers’ willingness to participate in the AdVantage Vanpool Program given the mandatory requirements and the financial incentives offered.

 

OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH:

 

Ž    Identify vanpool operators’/drivers’ awareness and appreciation of the various costs of operating existing vanpools.

Ž    Gauge awareness, understanding, and interest in the AdVantage Vanpool Program

Ž    Gauge relative appeal of AdVantage Vanpool Program benefits.

Ž    Identify the greatest potential barrier to participation in the AdVantage Vanpool Program. Assess and rate paperwork/reporting requirements associated with AdVantage Vanpool Program requirements.

Ž    Identify ways to make the AdVantage Vanpool Program as appealing as possible within the bounds of the mandatory reporting requirement.

Ž    Identify the optimal positioning and packaging of the AdVantage Vanpool Program.

 

METHODOLOGY:

 

Mode of Data Collection

Online survey

Completed Questionnaires

111 completed questionnaires

Survey Population

Those identified by MWCOG, RADCO, VPSI, and PRTC as Northern Virginia-based Vanpool Owners/Operators

Survey Instrument

Questionnaire administered online

Criteria for Participation

Northern Virginia-based vanpool owners/operators

 

SELECTED KEY FINDINGS:

 

Ž    Over 60% of vanpool owners/operators view new rider recruitment as their greatest challenge.

Ž    Most (86%) vanpools meet the AdVantage Vanpool Program eligibility requirements.

Ž    About 65% of vanpool owners/operators would be interested in the AdVantage Vanpool Program if it were available today, with VPSI drivers showing the most interest (79)%.

Ž    The greater the subsidy, the greater the interest.  Drivers who have longer round trip distances to cover (at least 121 miles round trip) show the most interest in the program (79%).

Ž    The program has most appeal for owners/drivers of the larger, newer vans that make the longest daily commutes and are not fully depreciated.

Ž    Vanpool owners/operators are willing to embrace the mandatory contract requirements of the Vanpool Program.  However, only about 50% are willing to accept the insurance requirements of the AdVantage Vanpool Program as designed currently.

Ž    The AdVantage Vanpool incentive program reporting requirements are perceived to be reasonable, though many owners/operators have issues with the frequency of collection and submission.  This impacts program interest and potential participation.  About 36% of owners/operators feel that the amount of paperwork associated with the AdVantage Vanpool Program needs to be reduced.

Ž    Electronic submission, either through email or online, is the preferred method of reporting.

Ž    HOT Lanes could potentially impact vanpool formation and retention.  About 35% of owners/operators report that they could potentially lose a portion of their passengers.

 

AVAILABLE DOCUMENTS:

 

Questionnaire

Data Tables

PowerPoint Presentations

 

KEY WORDS:

 

AdVantage Vanpool Program, HOT lanes, HOV, Northern Virginia, MWCOG, PRTC, RADCO, rideshare, vanpool, vanpool owners/operators, VPSI