easure 5: Seattle Central Business District (CBD) Customer Surveys

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Measure 5: Seattle Central Business District (CBD) Customer Surveys
Monitoring Objectives
Formally assess downtown user perceptions, behavior and satisfaction levels before and during tunnel
closure and after the tunnel reopens to transit use in order to assess the effectiveness of the mitigation
measures sponsored by the interagency Monitor and Maintain (M & M) team.
Collect informal feedback from downtown user after tunnel closure to better understand if the
mitigation efforts are working well or poorly and to identify key areas for immediate improvement or
fine-tuning.
Background
There are two survey instruments that are being employed to gauge the public reaction to tunnel closure.

The first instrument is a formal survey employing the services of a full service research consultant who
will survey randomly selected cluster samples downtown of groups targeted for the survey. The type of
information collected from bus riders is as follows: purpose of downtown travel; frequency of downtown
travel and changes in that frequency; changes in using the bus to travel downtown; overall impression of
downtown Seattle; and transit rider satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a number of factors such as travel
time by bus through downtown, personal space when waiting at stops, time between buses, on-time
performance of buses, location of stops predictability of bus arrivals and departures, and personal security
waiting for buses when dark and during the day.
The type of information collected from drivers includes: purpose of downtown travel; frequency of
downtown travel and changes in that frequency; changes in using a car to travel to downtown; overall
impression of downtown Seattle; and driver satisfaction or dissatisfaction with travel time through
downtown by car, convenience of routes through downtown by car, clarity of information (signage, rules)
for drivers downtown, ability to park downtown, convenience of parking to destination, and cost of
parking.
Information from both drivers and transit users is collected to learn about their general satisfaction or
dissatisfaction with the following: being able to walk around downtown without feeling crowded;
personal security when walking around downtown; adequacy/clarity of information given to downtown
users about the tunnel project; things that are working well and working poorly; performance of those
responsible for helping ease disruptions; and recommendations for needed changes or adjustments.
Approximately 1,000 downtown users will be surveyed with each formal survey. The survey itself takes
10 15 minutes to complete.
The second instrument that has been used to gauge public opinion about tunnel closure are smaller
intercept surveys using sample of approximately 200 to 300 downtown users. These intercept surveys
provide some qualitative feedback on what downtown constituents are feeling about tunnel closure. Given
the difference in methodology and sample size, it should be emphasized that the results of the quick
feedback survey cannot be compared with the results of the more formal customer surveys of downtown
users described above. They should be viewed as providing information that is similar to the type of
information that can be gotten from small focus groups.
King County Metro, acting on behalf of the M&M Committee, contracted with the Gilmore Research
Group to conduct these surveys.
Results from Quick Feedback Intercept Surveys
Two quick feedback intercept surveys have been conducted to date. The results of the two intercept
surveys were reported in Volume 2 and Volume 4. The surveys were conducted in the fall of 2005

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immediately after tunnel closure and in the spring of 2006. Results from the spring 2006 quick feedback
were generally consistent with results from fall 2005. The majority of respondents who participated in the
2006 survey felt it was not more difficult to get to downtown, that their buses were on time and that the
convenience of their bus stop locations had not changed. However, a sizable minority of respondents still
felt these travel elements had gotten worse since the tunnel closed. Respondents were evenly divided on
whether it now takes more time to get through downtown and whether downtown is more crowded than
before tunnel closure.
Results from Formal Surveys
The formal before survey was conducted in August 2005. The results of this survey were reported in the
Volume 1 Baseline Report that was issued in September 2005. One of the main conclusions for this
survey was that respondents generally had a positive impression of the downtown, that they did not feel
crowded when moving around downtown and that they were satisfied with their personal security and
safety.
These results will be updated with two more formal surveys. The data collection for the first update was
conducted during tunnel closure from June 28 through September 20, 2006. The results of this survey as
compared to the earlier baseline are summarized below A third and final survey will be conducted after
the tunnel reopens to transit travel in the fall of 2007.
Methodology
Gilmore Research worked with King County Metro Transit staff to develop a questionnaire suitable for
the three survey respondent groups targeted for the study: bus riders, auto travelers who park in
downtown surface lots or parking garages, and auto travelers to downtown who park at on-street meters.
Between June 28 and September 20, 2006, Gilmore research staff collected data from three discrete
populations who use the downtown area (387 bus riders, 263 auto drivers who parked in downtown lots
or garages, and 192 auto drivers who parked at on-street meters). The sampling frame consisted of a
complete list of the bus stops, parking garages, parking lots and metered parking blocks in downtown
Seattle. Clusters of bus stops, garage/lot locations and parking meter blocks were randomly selected from
this list for data collection purposes.
Since the population of downtown users in each of these groups is unknown, it is not possible to combine
the data into a proportionately representative snapshot of all downtown users. For this reason, even
though respondents from the bus rider sample may also travel to downtown by automobile and vice versa,
findings from each cluster sample group are analyzed separately.
In 2005, just 41 interviews were conducted with individuals parked at downtown meters. Due to the
small sample size, findings from this group were not analyzed in 2005 and are not used for comparison
purposes with 2006 data. Comparisons are drawn between 2005 and 2006 for the other two sample types.
Cluster Selection
The sampling frame consisted of a complete listing of the bus stops, garage/lots and metered parking
blocks in downtown Seattle. Clusters of 30 bus stops, 30 garages/lots and 20 parking meter blocks were
randomly selected from this list for data collection purposes.
Several of the garage/lot cluster locations used in 2005 were under construction and/or refused access and
had to be replaced. Replacement garage/lot locations were chosen using the same process described
above. Each parking garage/lot was given one chance for random selection for each slot available for
parking (i.e., 14 spots = 14 chances, 150 spots = 150 chances). Thus, larger venues had a greater chance
to be selected over smaller ones. Each parking lot was only selected once.


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Recruitment and Data Collection
All recruiting occurred on weekdays between 2 and 6 PM. Respondents were recruited from June 28 to
July 14, 2006 and then again from September 19-20, 2006 for the replacement locations.
Names and telephone numbers of individuals willing to participate in a telephone survey at bus, garage/lot
and parking meter locations were collected. Those who did not want to participate in the phone survey
were given a postcard with a website address so they could do the survey online. The postcards explained
the purpose of the survey, provided the website address and a unique PIN number that would allow
respondents to complete the survey online. Table 1 describes how the sampling effort translated into
completed interviews for each of the three survey clusters.

Table 1. 2006 Telephone Survey Sample Disposition

Bus
Cluster
Sample
Percent
of Bus
Sample
Garage/
Lot
Cluster
Sample
Percent
of
Garage/
Lot
Sample
Parking
Meter
Cluster
Sample
Parking
Meter
Cluster
Percent







Total Sample Attempted
865
100%
573
100%
428
100%
Disconnected
72
8
34
6
28
7
Business/FAX
4
<1
6
<1
5
1
Wrong Number
98
11
35
6
36
8
Subtotal Non-working
174
20%
75
13%
69
16%







Usable Sample
691
80%
498
87%
359
84%
No answer
29
3
14
2
18
4
Answering machine
177
20
138
24
81
19
Qualified respondent not
available

15

2
23
4
10
2
Busy signal
7
1
4
1
8
2
Blocked number
18
2
10
2
13
3
Subtotal No Contact
241
28%
182
32%
130
30%







Total Sample Contacted
450
52%
316
55%
229
54%
Refusals
27
3
25
4
10
2
Terminate/Incomplete
19
2
29
5
2
<1
Subtotal
Refusals/Incomple te

46

5%
54
9%
12
3%







Not qualified (misc)
2
<1%
2
<1%
22
5
Quota filled
0
0
0
0
0
0
Language barrier/ hearing
problem

12

1
7
1
11
3
Subtotal Not Qualified
14
2%
9
2%
33
8%







Completed Telephone
Interviews

385

45%
246
43%
184
43%
Complete Online/