Transcript presentation-idea-66 westbound i-66 inside the beltway

DRAFT
Southeastern
Institute of
Research
I-66 Corridor:
Westbound Traffic Issues Within
the I-495 Beltway
Community Involvement Survey
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December 3, 2004
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Agenda
I.
Objectives
II.
Methodology
III. Key Findings
IV. Conclusions & Implications
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Research Objectives
• Provide input to aid in formulating a contextsensitive solution to managing congestion in the
I-66 Westbound Corridor:
– Describe and document trips Westbound along
the I-66 Corridor
– Identify and assess stakeholder perception of
traffic congestion in the Westbound I-66
Corridor
– Explore the relative appeal of 4 concepts
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Research Objectives (con’t.)
• Assess relative appeal of 4 initial
concept categories that the Governor
identified (as stated in Governor
Warner’s letter dated September 4,
2003):
1. Bus or rail transit improvements
2. Changing the requirements for
HOV and/or adding toll lanes
3. Roadway widening
4. Do nothing
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Study Methodology
• A random telephone survey was conducted among
residents along the I-66 corridor
• In order to qualify for the survey, respondents had
to live within a 10-mile long / 1-mile wide corridor
along I-66. Some respondents lived inside the
Beltway, and others lived outside the Beltway.
– Outside the Beltway, the eligible area was defined
by zip codes
– Inside the Beltway, it was defined by carrier routes
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Map of Study Area
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Methodology (con’t.)
•
All respondents traveled Westbound at least 3 times per week, using either I-66, Metro
or other roads running parallel to I-66
– Total net incidence of residents who
qualified: 52%
– Inside the Beltway Resident: 65%
– Outside the Beltway Resident: 43%
•
501 interviews were completed
–
300 with residents inside the Beltway
–
201 with residents outside the Beltway
–
These sample sizes were established in advance to ensure that sufficient numbers
of these two groups were included in the total for individual analysis
•
A sample of 501 has a margin of error of 4.4% at the 95% confidence level
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Stakeholder
View Of I-66
Westbound
Corridor Traffic
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Commuters Believe that Westbound
Traffic Is Becoming More Congested
Easy to travel with very little
congestion
5%
17%
Easy to travel with some congestion
Harder and harder to travel with
growing congestion
45%
Very hard to travel with significant
congestion
32%
1%
Don't know
Unweighted data
77%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Question: How would you describe the traffic issues you encounter when driving
either I-66 West or the other westbound roads running parallel to I-66? Would you
say I-66 or the other roads are … ? (Read answers.)
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Residents Both Inside and Outside the Beltway
Believe that Westbound Traffic Is Congested
Easy to travel with very little
congestion
6%
3%
Easy to travel with some congestion
8%
23%
Harder and harder to travel with
growing congestion
47%
42%
Very hard to travel with significant
congestion
Don't know
22%
3%
1%
0%
Unweighted data
69% inside and
88% outside the
Beltway believe
Westbound
traffic is
congested.
46%
Inside the Beltway
Outside the Beltway
20%
40%
60%
80% 100%
Question: How would you describe the traffic issues you encounter when driving
either I-66 West or the other westbound roads running parallel to I-66? Would you
say I-66 or the other roads are … ? (Read answers.)
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Question: What
do you see as the
cause of the
congestion you’re
experiencing on
either I-66 West or
the other
westbound roads
running parallel to
it?
Only most
frequent
mentions are
shown.
Unweighted data
Commuters Believe the Congestion Is the
Result of Too Many Cars and Not Enough
Lanes for Westbound Traffic
Total
Inside of
Beltway
Outside of
Beltway
%
%
%
Too many cars
38
39
38
Not enough lanes/ not
wide enough
27
29
24
Expanding population
17
16
18
Too much development
12
8
17
Poor drivers /
accidents
7
7
7
Bad merges / ramps
6
8
3
Poor infrastructure
6
3
9
Inadequate public
transportation
5
5
5
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What Do
Commuters
Believe The Solution
Should Be?
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Assessment Approach
Possible Solutions:
Bus or rail transit
improvements
Changing the
requirements for HOV
and/or adding toll
lanes
Roadway widening
Do nothing
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3 Ways To Assess Solutions:
1. Open-ended question
Answer to “What do you
believe could be done to
lessen congestion?”
2. Ranking of the concept
3. Calculation of a
Concept Performance
Index
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Assessment #1.
Open-ended question
Answer to “What do you believe
could be done to lessen congestion?”
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Question: What do
you believe could
be done to lessen
the congestion
along I-66 West
and/or the I-66
Corridor to improve
its efficiency for
your use?
Note: The 4
options were
not mentioned.
Only most
frequent top of
mind mentions
are shown.
Unweighted data
Commuters Propose Widen/Add Lanes
and Improve Public Transportation
to Resolve Traffic Congestion
(Chart shows most popular commuter suggestions
before hearing 4 alternative solutions)
Total
Inside of
Beltway
Outside of
Beltway
%
%
%
Widen/add lanes
52
53
52
Improve public
transportation/expand
Metro
33
29
37
Build more roads
8
8
9
Extend Metro to Dulles
5
6
5
Improve HOV
5
6
3
Don’t know/refused
8
8
8
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Assessment #2.
Ranking
Question: “Of all of these options, which
would you choose first; which one second,
which one third and which one fourth?”
(Rotate options to avoid order bias)
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Of Four Concept Categories Tested, Making Bus and/or Rail
Transit Improvements Is the First Choice of Westbound
Commuters to Reduce Westbound I-66 Congestion
Graph reports
the proportion
selecting each
option as first
choice.
47%
Bus and/or rail transit improvements
37%
Roadway widening
Change the requirements for HOV
and/or add toll lanes
12%
4%
Do nothing
Unweighted data
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Question: Of all of these options, which would you choose first; which one second,
which one third and which one fourth?
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Graph reports
the proportion
selecting each
option as first
choice.
Those Who Live Inside the Beltway and Those
Outside the Beltway Do Not Differ Significantly
in Terms of Their “First Choice” Solutions to
Reduce Westbound Congestion
49%
45%
Bus and/or rail transit
improvements
34%
40%
Roadway widening
Change the
Inside of Beltway
Outside of Beltway
12%
13%
requirements for HOV
and/or add toll lanes
5%
2%
Do nothing
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Unweighted data
Question: Of all of these options, which would you choose first; which one second,
which one third and which one fourth?
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Graph reports
the proportion
selecting each
option as first
choice.
Those Who Drive Alone or Carpool Prefer Either Improvements to
Bus or Rail Transit or Widening the Roadway to Reduce
Congestion. Those Who Use Some Other Form of Transportation
Prefer Making Improvements to Bus or Rail Transit.
42%
39%
Bus and/or rail transit
improvements
Roadway widening
27%
Change the
42%
45%
12%
10%
13%
requirements for HOV
and/or add toll lanes
Drive alone (n=306)
Carpool (n=31)
3%
6%
2%
Do nothing
0%
58%
Vanpool/Metrorail/Bus/Telework
(n=62)
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Unweighted data
Question: Of all of these options, which would you choose first; which one second,
which one third and which one fourth?
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Graph reports
the proportion
selecting each
option as first
choice.
Those Who Believe The Congestion on Westbound I-66 Is Lighter
and That It Is Easy to Travel on I-66 Prefer Bus and/or Rail
Transit Improvements. Those Who Believe Westbound I-66 Is
Getting More Congested and Harder to Travel Prefer Either Bus
and Rail Improvements or Roadway Widening.
51%
Bus and/or rail transit
improvements
46%
23%
Roadway widening
40%
Change the
11%
13%
requirements for HOV
and/or add toll lanes
Do nothing
Unweighted data
Easy to travel on I-66
(n=107)
Harder to travel on I-66
(n=383)
14%
1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Question: Of all of these options, which would you choose first; which one second,
which one third and which one fourth?
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The Majority Selected “Do Nothing”
As The Least Most Popular Option
Percent who selected “Do Nothing” as their last choice (option)
Graph reports
the proportion
selecting each
option as
fourth (last)
choice.
All Residents
57%
Outside of Beltway
66%
Inside of Beltway
Unweighted data
52%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Question: Of all of these options, which would you choose first; which one second,
which one third and which one fourth?
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Assessment #3.
Concept Performance Index
Assigning 3 points for each first place choice, 2 points for
each second place, 1 point for each third place and
0 points for each fourth place choice.
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Concept Performance Index
• Respondents ranked the four congestion reduction
options according to their first choice, second choice,
third choice and fourth choice.
• In order to assess how well the four options performed
across all of these ratings, a Concept Performance
Index was calculated.
• This index was calculated by assigning 3 points for
each first place choice, 2 points for each second place,
1 point for each third place and 0 points for each
fourth place choice. The total points for each option
were totaled. And, the grand total for all options was
calculated. The proportions reported for the index
represent each option’s share of the grand total of
points.
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There Is No Clear Cut Winner.
Making Bus and/or Rail Improvements Performs
Best on the Concept Performance Index.
“Doing Nothing” Indexes Least Favorably.
36
Bus and/or rail transit improvements
29
Roadway widening
Change the requirements for HOV
and/or add toll lanes
25
10
Do nothing
0
Unweighted data
However,
widening the
road and
changing HOV
requirements or
adding toll
lanes perform
reasonably
well, also.
20
40
60
80
100
Question: Of all of these options, which would you choose first; which one second,
which one third and which one fourth?
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The Four Options Tested Index About
the Same For Inside and Outside the
Beltway Residents
36
35
Bus and/or rail transit improvements
27
33
Roadway widening
Change the requirements for HOV
and/or add toll lanes
25
24
12
Do nothing
8
0
Unweighted data
Inside of Beltway
Outside of Beltway
20
40
60
80
100
Question: Of all of these options, which would you choose first; which one second,
which one third and which one fourth?
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Only most
frequent
mentions are
shown.
Some concern
for
environment
Question: Why do
you choose “bus
and/or rail transit
improvements” as
your first option
for improving the
efficiency of
traffic flow along
the I-66 Corridor?
Rail Transit and/or Bus Improvements Are Rated
Favorably Because They Are Viewed as Decreasing
the Number of Cars and Reducing Congestion; and,
Because They Would Move More People
Total
Inside of
Beltway
Outside of
Beltway
%
%
%
Fewer cars / less congestion
19
16
24
Environmental reasons
15
18
11
Bus or rail needs to be extended
14
12
18
Move more people
14
15
11
People would use it
13
16
8
Easiest / best option
12
10
16
Widening road would not solve
7
8
6
More convenient / less stress
5
5
6
Least disruptive
5
8
1
Like the idea
5
8
1
It’s needed
5
5
3
Don’t know
1
1
-
Unweighted data
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Respondents Support Widening the Roadway
Because They Believe It Would Move More Cars
and Increase Traffic Flow
Only most
frequent
mentions are
shown.
Total
Inside of
Beltway
Outside of
Beltway
%
%
%
More cars – increase traffic flow
40
30
53
Easiest / best option
19
22
15
It’s needed
12
18
5
People / I prefer to use car
7
3
11
More people / development
needs to keep up
6
6
6
Other
8
11
4
Don’t know
2
-
5
Unweighted data
Question: Why do you choose “roadway widening” as your first option for
improving the efficiency of traffic flow along the I-66 Corridor?
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Conclusion
Transit and Roadway Widening
Are The Most Popular
Possible Solutions
Assessment #1
Assessment #2
Assessment #3
Open-ended
Ranking
CPI
Bus or rail transit
improvements
2
1
1
Changing the
requirements for HOV
and/or adding toll
lanes
3
3
3
Roadway widening
1
2
2
Do nothing
NA
4
4
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Commuters’
Expectations For
Information About
Transportation
Issues On I-66?
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Two-Thirds Have Received the Information
They Want Regarding Transportation Issues
Along the I-66 Corridor
All that you have needed
17%
Most of what you have needed
21%
Some of what you have needed
27%
8%
Less than what you have needed
Somewhat less than what you have
needed
5%
Much less than what you have needed
4%
14%
Very little
5%
Nothing
Unweighted data
However, 36% would
like more
information.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Question: How would you describe the level of information you and your household
have seen or heard regarding the transportation issues along the I-66 Corridor?
Would you say you have seen or heard … ? (Read answers.)
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Those Living Inside the Beltway Are More Likely to
Have Received the Information They Want
20%
13%
All that you have needed
22%
19%
Most of what you have needed
27%
26%
Some of what you have needed
6%
10%
Less than what you have needed
Somewhat less than what you have
needed
5%
4%
Much less than what you have needed
3%
4%
12%
16%
Very little
5%
6%
Nothing
Unweighted data
Inside the Beltway
Outside the Beltway
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Question: How would you describe the level of information you and your household
have seen or heard regarding the transportation issues along the I-66 Corridor?
Would you say you have seen or heard … ? (Read answers.)
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Those Who Believe It Is Easy to Travel on
Westbound I-66 Are More Likely to Have Received
the Information They Want
All that you have needed
Most of what you have needed
19%
28%
24%
27%
Some of what you have needed
7%
8%
Less than what you have needed
Somewhat less than what you have
needed
4%
5%
Much less than what you have needed
2%
4%
Unweighted data
25%
14%
Easy to travel on I-66
Very little
7%
Nothing
3%
6%
0%
Over three-fourths, 77%,
of those who believe it is
easy to travel on I-66
have received the
information they want.
Harder to travel on I-66
16%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Question: How would you describe the level of information you and your household
have seen or heard regarding the transportation issues along the I-66 Corridor?
Would you say you have seen or heard … ? (Read answers.)
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Those Outside the Beltway Are More Likely to Want
to Receive Information Via Television and Radio.
Those Inside the Beltway Like Getting Information
through Regular Mail and Public Meetings.
67%
63%
Read about it in the newspaper
39%
See and hear about it on television
35%
Hear about it on the radio
Receive information by regular mail
28%
Attend public meetings
14%
0%
20%
Inside the Beltway
Outside the Beltway
Both groups are
equally receptive to
receiving
information
electronically.
2%
2%
Don't know
Unweighted data
23%
19%
17%
Receive e-mails about it
45%
39%
30%
27%
Find information on the Internet
52%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Question: How would you like to be kept informed on transportation issues
regarding the I-66 Corridor? Do you want … ? (Read answers.)
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5 Key
Conclusions
&
Implications
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#1. Westbound Commuters Who Live Inside
the Beltway and Those Who Live Outside
the Beltway Differ In Their Usage of
the I-66 corridor
Conclusion: Those who live inside the Beltway are less
frequent users of the Corridor. They are less likely than
those outside the Corridor to be headed home, to be
traveling in a car or other private vehicle, and to be
commuting west in the afternoon peak hours than are
commuters outside the Beltway.
Implication: Not all Westbound commuters have the
same needs and preferences. Inside and outside the
Beltway commuters, for example, have different
perceptions and different expectations. Consequently,
they will not all respond in the same way to congestion
management programs.
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#2. The Vast Majority of All Stakeholders
(Inside And Outside The Beltway) Believe I-66
Westbound Is Becoming More Congested
Conclusion: Stakeholders believe that Westbound
traffic in the I-66 Corridor is becoming more
congested. They blame that congestion on the
number of cars on the road, not having enough lanes
on the road and population growth and development.
Implication: Stakeholders are sensitive to the
growing congestion along the I-66 Corridor. They are
ready to hear about plans for its management.
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#3. Of Four Alternative Concepts Tested,
Making Bus and/or Rail Transit
Improvements and Roadway Widening
are the Most Appealing Overall
Conclusion: Nearly one-half (47%) of commuters rated bus and/or rail
transit option as their first choice as a way of reducing congestion. And,
one-third (33%) said (without interviewer prompting –as an open end
question) that the public transportation and Metro should be improved
and expanded to lessen congestion in the I-66 Corridor. On a Concept
Performance Index, bus and rail improvements also scored highest,
indexing at 36%.
Widening the roadway is also a popular choice with commuters. Over
one-half of respondents suggested this solution in an open-ended
question. Over one-third (37%) rated this option first. It scored well on
a Concept Performance Index as well.
Implication: From the perspective of stakeholders, making “bus and/or
rail improvements” should be adopted as a plan – or at least as part of a
plan – to reduce traffic congestion on Westbound I-66. Widening the
roadway is also a strong contender and should be included as part of a
plan that is responsive to the needs and preferences of stakeholders.
Ideally, a plan that involves both bus and rail improvements and
widening the roadway would be a context-sensitive solution.
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#4. To “Do Nothing” About The Traffic
Congestion In The Westbound I-66 Corridor
Is Simply Not Acceptable
Conclusion: For nearly 6 out of 10 (57%) commuters,
“doing nothing” is their last choice for how to deal with the
traffic congestion. Those who live outside the Beltway are
particularly likely to say that “doing nothing” is not an
option. Two-thirds of this group (66%) – or nearly 7 out of
10 – rated “doing nothing” as their last choice.
Implication: Stakeholders are receptive and ready for
action to be taken regarding Westbound congestion on I-66.
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#5. About Two-thirds of Stakeholders Have
Received the Information They Want
Regarding Transportation Issues
Along the 1-66 corridor
Conclusion: Those who live inside the Beltway are
more likely to have received the information they
want. And, those who believe that it is easy to travel
along the Corridor are more likely to have received
the information they want.
Implication: Continue to provide commuters with the
information they want, targeting specific groups or
areas in order to keep them aware of plans and
progress and to generate their support.
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