Probing Motorists' Perceptions of Highway Quality: Mail Survey Pilot

This report presents the results of a mail survey of motorists in selected Pennsylvania counties conducted in July and August 2000 to test the feasibility and usefulness of a new survey instrument for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). This instrument was designed to strengthen the validity and reliability of the customer feedback collected in PennDOT’s annual county-level survey of motorist satisfaction, as well as to expand the dimensions of highway quality incorporated in that survey. This pilot survey was mailed to 12,000 motorists residing in eight counties selected to represent a cross-section of the Commonwealth in terms of geography, urbanization, highway condition, and motorist satisfaction. This pilot survey demonstrated the feasibility of fielding a more ambitious instrument as a mail survey rather than a telephone survey. With one mailing and only one follow-up postcard reminder, the overall response rate was 30 percent, and there was virtually no attrition of responses to any individual items. Secondly, the data seem to be quite reasonable, with ratings that tended to be somewhat lower than those generated by an earlier telephone survey conducted as part of this research, suggesting a more candid response from the more anonymous, “arm’s length” mail survey. In addition, the ratings produced by the new mail survey pilot tend to be more favorable than those generated by PennDOT’s regular county-level survey last year. This may be because the items in the new instrument are expressed more clearly and have more consistent response sets, but it may also reflect actual improvement in the condition of state highways in these counties. Thirdly, the data produced by the survey pilot appear to be useful. It solicits motorist feedback on traffic flow and safety in addition to ride quality to provide a more balanced reading of satisfaction. Motorists’ ratings of numerous specific attributes of highway quality serve to indicate where strengths and weaknesses lie in the minds of the motoring public.

• Record URL:
  http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/PSU-R-70.pdf
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Pennsylvania State University, University Park

  Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, Transportation Research Building
  University Park, PA  United States  16802

  Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

  Bureau of Planning and Research, Forum Place, 555 Walnut Street
  Harrisburg, PA  United States  17101-1900

  Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center

  Pennsylvania State University
  201 Transportation Research Building
  University Park, PA  United States  16802-4710
• Authors:
  • Poister, Theodore H
• Publication Date: 2000-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 21p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Counties; Customer satisfaction; Postal service; Ride quality; Surveys; Traffic flow; Traffic safety; Travelers
• Geographic Terms: Pennsylvania
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01046057
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: PA-2000-024+97-04(12), PTI 2001-14
• Contract Numbers: 359704, WO 12
• Files: UTC, TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 12 2007 8:25AM