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Research Project Description |
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Impact
of Ethnic Diversity on Transit: How Do Various Population Groups View and
Utilize Various Transit Modes? – Phase II Project Number: 2207
Principal
Investigator: Richard
Werbel, Ph.D., Professor, Marketing Dept. SJSU. MTI Research Associate (RA) Email: rgerbel@pacbell.net Institution: Telephone Number: Email Address: mti@mti.sjsu.edu Project Objective: This project originated during the MTI/Caltrans Needs Assessment meeting in November 2000. Given the size and diversity of California’s population, the potential for planning and providing transit service to take advantage of behaviors and attitudes of various ethnic groups was deemed worthy of exploration. Three groups will be targeted: Hispanics, Asians, and African-Americans, and segments will examine potential differences based on generational differences in the immigrant groups. The original proposal planned to look at two counties. Only three counties in the state have sufficient numbers of each of the groups to provide sufficient samples, and Alameda and Sacramento Counties were selected because LA was too large and complex. However, on further examination, Alameda County proved to be atypical in several ways, and was therefore less attractive as a study participant. BART is heavy rail and serves multiple counties; the county has an extensive casual carpool ridership, and congestion is unusually high. Therefore, Phase II will be conducting in Sacramento County. The assumption is that the behaviors and attitudes of the groups would not differ greatly from those same groups in Alameda or Los Angeles County. Abstract: Phase I included the literature search, designing a sample, selecting the communities (y), constructing and pretesting the survey questionnaire, and selecting the survey organization. Those tasks have been completed. Phase II will include translations of the survey into Spanish, Cantonese, possibly Mandarin, and Vietnamese; on-board interviews to collect survey contacts; administration of the telephone survey; analysis of the data, and the final report. A more complete description is included in the 2109 prospectus.
Task Descriptions: This task has
begun during the first phase. Translations: Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin,
Spanish Task Two: Subcontractor
will identify 1800 individuals for telephone survey by pre-interviewing
transit patrons. Task Three: Subcontractor
will interview 900 respondents in 6 segments of sufficient size for data
analysis Task Four: Determine the
relevant questions to be addressed by data analysis, such as: what is the
correlation with neighborhood of residence? What variables affect
satisfaction? What is the impact of transit dependency? What is the
relationship between time pressure and satisfaction? What is the impact of
safety perception? What are the relationships of the comparative variables by
mode? Task Five: Use the Data
Analysis Plan to analyze the survey data. Task Six: The report will
include the literature search and other pertinent information from Phase I as
well as the results of the survey and analysis. Project Dates: Task One: Complete translations May 2003 – June 2003 Task Two: Onboard recruiting June 2003 – July 2003 Task Three: Telephone administration of Survey Questionnaire July 2003 – August 2003 Task Four: Development of Data Analysis Plan July 2003 - August 2003 Task Five: Data Analysis August 2003
Task Six: Prepare Final Report August 2003 – December 2003 Following submission of the draft final report, the
following actions will occur: Copyedit and preparation of Peer Review Draft Peer Review and Author’s Response Final Editing and Pre-Publication Printer’s Blueline Proof and Final Print The estimated time for these to occur will be no less than
two months. Final publication and Web posting: March 2004. Total Budget: $52,221 Yearly: $52,221
Principal Investigator: Richard Werbel, Ph.D., Professor, Marketing Dept.
SJSU. MTI Research Associate (RA) Megumi Hosoda, Ph.D., Ass’t Professor, Psychology Dept. SJSU. MTI RA Nancy Da Silva, Ph.D., Ass’t Professor, Psychology Dept.
SJSU. MTI RA Technology Transfer Activities: Potential Benefits of the Project:
Diverse communities present marketing and operational planning challenges to transit agencies. By focusing on three groups in more than one generation (African-Americans, Chinese, and Hispanics) this research will assist agencies in understanding potentially unique characteristics of these groups. A Caucasian control group will help determine whether these groups also differ the population group most often seen as the “customer.” The information may be helpful in service planning, marketing and customer relations. Key Words: Planning, Transit
Service, Planning Methods, Community Planning |
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