Moving Ahead The American Public Speaks on Roadways and Transportation in Communities Federal Highway Administration Industry Briefing March 20, 2001

The bottom line Customer satisfaction levels for major highways have improved In general most travelers are satisfied with the performance and safety of the roadways they travel FHWA should continue to be sensitive to community quality of life 2

The bottom line Survey participants indicated opportunities for improvement including: –Decreasing traffic congestion –Improving the effectiveness and safety of work zones –Continued focus on improving pavement conditions –Community-oriented improvements –Improving maintenance response time –Improving road safety in National Parks; National Forests 3

Public satisfaction measures complement traditional performance measures Satisfaction Surveys Focus Groups Others HPMS Bridge Conditions Budget Trends Others Improved Understanding Public Perception Agency or System Owner/Operator 4

Travelers expressed overall positive levels of satisfaction with the roads they travel most often 60% 72% 70% 5

Traveler perception was generally positive and had improved on many core FHWA areas of activity Visual appeal Travel amenities Bridge conditions Pavement surface Road safety 6

Trends show increased satisfaction and dissatisfaction with major highways used most often Increased Satisfaction Increased Dissatis- faction 7

Community satisfaction with transportation was moderate 58% 59% 58% 8

Satisfaction with key features of roadways in National Parks and National Forests was generally positive Percentage of responses “satisfied” and “very satisfied” shown 9

Now let’s take a look at some of the areas of concern. 10

There are several characteristics of concern for highways Percentage of responses “satisfied” and “very satisfied” shown Data not collected in

Satisfaction with our traditional areas of focus in work zones is high, but traffic impact is emerging as an issue. ** ** - Information not collected in 1995 Percentage of responses “satisfied” and “very satisfied” shown ** 12

Satisfaction with level of congestion ranked lowest of any item related to traffic flow Percentage of responses “satisfied” and “very satisfied” shown ** ** - Information not collected in 1995 ** 13

We know what’s behind the congestion: heavy traffic Multiple responses allowed for “Main Reason for Delay” 14

Community transportation issues include impacts from congestion Percentage of responses “big problem” and “problem” shown 15

Transportation influences decisions on where to live in the community 16

The transportation system could serve the community’s needs better 17

Now let’s take a look at what the public thinks should be done. 18

Traffic flow and safety top the list of highway characteristics which should receive the most attention and resources for improvement 19

Travelers told us what they think should be done Preferred Transportation Improvements to Combat Delay Percentage of “Great Help” responses shown 20

The transportation system would serve my local community better if: Percentage of responses “strongly agree” and “agree” shown 21

The public’s preferred approach to expanding public transit 22

Safety topped the list of areas of importance in National Park and National Forest roadways Percentage total possible level of importance score shown 23

In summary, respondents told us that they preferred solutions that focus on… Incremental improvement, I.e. improving and expanding existing infrastructure rather than building major new facilities Less traditional solutions, such as intelligent transportation systems Intelligent management and operation of the infrastructure Public transit Other community-friendly solutions such as pedestrian walkways and bikeways 24

Our conclusions Transportation agencies are doing well in their traditional areas of focus –When roads are built, build them well. –Keep the system in good physical condition. Agencies need to focus on newer areas –“Get in, get out, stay out” for roadwork –Focus attention on congestion –Support community-oriented solutions –Look at management/operations –Consider transit, bikeways, and sidewalks –Address safety on roads in federal lands 25