VDOT OMNIBUS STUDY: WAVE 1

 

 

SPONSOR:

 

Virginia Department of Transportation

Contact:  Lynda South, Office of Public Affairs

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:

 

Understand citizens’ expectations and perceptions of VDOT on critical issues across all Divisions.

 

OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH:

 

Ž    Provide guidance for VDOT’s outreach communications program.

Ž    Establish benchmarks for monitoring perceptions of VDOT across the Commonwealth.

 

METHODOLOGY:

 

Mode of Data Collection

Telephone survey

Completed Interviews

1,200

Survey Population

Random households in 4 geographic regions: Northern Virginia, Central Virginia, Eastern Virginia and Western Virginia

Survey Instrument

Questionnaire administered by telephone interviewer

Criteria for Participation

Adults aged 18 or older who are Virginia residents

 

SELECTED KEY FINDINGS:

 

Ž    VDOT is ubiquitous.  Nine in ten (92%) Virginians have had contact with VDOT in the past year. 

Ž    Six in ten (62%) Virginia residents are satisfied with their contact with VDOT.  However, only 53% of residents living in Eastern Virginia and 59% of residents living in Northern Virginia are satisfied with their contact with VDOT.

Ž    Nearly six in ten (59%) Virginians associate VDOT with road maintenance.  Half of Virginia residents (51%) believe road maintenance should be VDOT’s biggest priority.

Ž    Nearly six in ten (58%) Virginians rate VDOT favorably for road maintenance.

Ž    For Eastern and Northern Virginia, new road construction is relatively more important than it is for other regions of Virginia.

Ž    Only three in ten (29%) Virginians give VDOT a favorable rating for planning for the future.

Ž    Questions relating to the Highway Safety Corridor were only asked of residents living in Western Virginia.  One-half (50%) of residents in Western Virginia are aware of the Highway Safety Corridor, and one-third (37%) of these have improved their driving behavior as a result of it.  Among those who are aware of it, the program works.

 

AVAILABLE DOCUMENTS:

 

Questionnaire

Data Tables

PowerPoint Presentation

 

KEY WORDS:

 

Central Virginia, Eastern Virginia, Highway Safety Corridor, new road construction, Northern Virginia, roadway maintenance, VDOT, Western Virginia