|
We
hope you find the information presented helpful. If
you still have questions about the survey after you've
gone through this site, please call Stacey Bricka at
1-800-447-8287, ext. 2240, or email her at sbricka@nustats.com.
The Central
Arkansas Regional Travel Study is
a comprehensive travel survey of 1,000 households
in Faulkner, Lonoke, Pulaski, and Saline Counties.
The survey is sponsored by Metroplan and the Arkansas
State Highway and Transportation Department, in cooperation
with:
The cities of Alexander, Austin, Benton,
Bryant, Cabot, Cammack Villate, Conway, Haskell, Jacksonville,
Little Rock, Maumelle, Mayflower, North Little Rock,
Shannon Hills, Sherwood, Vilonia, Ward, and Wrightsville
as well as the counties of Faulkner, Lonoke, Pulaski,
and Saline.
This study is part of a comprehensive effort
to improve travel in the region and the data collected
from this study will be combined with data collected
through surveys of transit riders and people traveling
through the region. Future transportation planning and
modeling efforts for the region will rely on the information
provided by participation in this important survey.
As part of the survey, travel information
will be collected from 1,000 households randomly selected
from the 231,000 households in the central Arkansas region.
Each household member will be asked to record in a convenient
travel log all the locations he/she visited for a scheduled
24-hour period. Information recorded will include the
name and address of each location, what he/she did at
that location, how he/she got there, and the arrival
and departure time for each location.
This information will be used to paint
a realistic picture of why people travel, as well as
how they make their decisions and plan their daily travel
activities. In this way, future travel needs can be anticipated
and facilities designed to meet these needs, thus helping
to boost the quality of life, while maintaining the economic
health and viability of the region.
Household travel surveys are conducted
because they:
-
Describe travel
trends in order to understand how use
of highways and transit facilities is changing
-
Identify areas
where problems can be expected in the
current transportation network, and
-
Provide a means
to test proposed solutions.
This research is necessary for the support
of transportation planning projects, including travel
forecasts, highway and transit feasibility studies, land
use planning, parking studies, and identifying the changes
that will help to improve air quality in the region.
REMEMBER: The
survey data will be used solely to provide information
on overall travel patterns. Your household's information
will be grouped with all the other households and will
not be analyzed individually. The information you provide
as part of the survey will be held in strict confidence
and your individual privacy will be respected. Individual
data will not be released to any persons or agencies,
and will only be used when aggregated with those of
your neighbors.
Current Project Status
as of First Date:
Number of households agreeing to participate: 848 Households
Number of households completing a survey: 239 Households
Top
of Page
Since
it is not cost effective to survey every single household
within the region, a
representative sample is being taken that focuses on
the geographic location, household size, and number of
vehicles available to each household. The sampling procedure
was designed by Dr. Karol Krotki (yes), a nationally
recognized expert in sampling design. Each household
in the sample represents approximately 231 other households,
so your participation is very important!
Telephone numbers were randomly selected
by a computer. Since the method used is totally random,
as in a lottery, both listed and unlisted telephone numbers
are used. Therefore, even if a household has an unlisted
number, it could be selected, since the computer cannot
distinguish the difference between a listed and an unlisted
number.
Top
of Page
Most
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
Why do you need my household's income?
A: Since each participating
household represents approximately 231 households in
the study area, we need to make sure that we have the
right mix of household income. Previous research has
shown that both the number of trips and the mode of
travel vary greatly based on household income. To get
an accurate accounting of travel in the region, we
must collect information from households at all income
levels.
Q:
What is defined as a trip?
A: A trip is when you leave
your current address, whether it's your home or somewhere
else, to go to another place. Examples: leaving home
to go to the grocery store, leaving home to go to work,
leaving work to go to lunch, transferring from one
bus to another, or stopping at the gas station on your
way home from work.
Q:
How much detail is needed on each place I visit?
A: The travel log
asks for the name and address of each place you go
to, what
you do ateach place, how you get there, what time
you arrive and what time you leave. Your exact address
information will enable planners to "map" out
where traffic is most congested and at what times during
the day so they can provide solutions to these problems.
If you do not know the exact street address, please
provide the most detailed information you can, such
as nearest intersection or cross street
Q:
What do I do with the travel log after my household
has completed it?
A: Once you and everyone in
your household have completed the logs, keep them together
in one place (we recommend keeping them near your phone.)
A NuStats DataSource survey specialist will call you
to collect the information or you can call us at 1-877-261-4621.
After we've obtained your information over the phone,
we do ask that you keep them for a few more days, in
case we need to call you back for clarification.
Top
of Page
If
you need additional information about...
- The project, please
call: Richard Magee, Phone (501)
372-3300 or email him at: magee@metroplan.org
- How to complete the travel
log, please call our: Survey Hotline at 1-877-261-4621;
- Anything else, please
call: Stacey Bricka at 1-800-447-8287, ext. 2240, or
e-mail her at sbricka@nustats.com.
REMEMBER: A
NuStats interviewer will call you the day after your
assigned travel date; please don't throw your
travel log away until after we call to
collect the information.
Top
of Page
|
