2008 Citizen Survey released

[metro]

As I mentioned yesterday in the Mass Transit update thread, ironically this was released at the city council meeting, just moments before Urban Neighbors presented the mass transit plan for downtown to the City Council. Ironically, Mass Transit is the #2 demand from city residents, down one spot from last time, only to road and bridges repair though (understandably). Mass transit is hot on the mind of residents, what is the city going to do about it???

Survey: OKC residents down on services, positive overall

August 13, 2008 OKLAHOMA CITY – Residents are slightly less satisfied with Oklahoma City government services, but overall are pleased, survey results show.

City street maintenance continues to be the area of least satisfaction, with only a 19-percent approval rate from survey respondents, the ETC Institute reported.

The Kansas-based marketing research firm was hired to find out how well services are being delivered by the city. ETC performed similar surveys in 2007 and 2005. The most recent random sampling survey results of 3,000 households have an expected accuracy rate of +/-2.8 percent.

ETC found 75 percent of respondents are satisfied with the quality of police, fire and ambulance services and 70 percent are pleased with the city water utilities. That compares with 2007 when about 79 percent of respondents were satisfied with emergency services, and in 2005 when 83 percent reported they were pleased. Water utilities satisfaction was about 75 percent in 2007 and 72 percent in 2005.

All other major categories also showed drops of 1-5 percentage points since last year. City Hall spokeswoman Kristy Yager said she wasn’t surprised, because consumer satisfaction levels overall tend to dip in periods of economic downturn.

When asked which city services should receive the most emphasis over the next two years, respondents overwhelmingly chose street maintenance, with 72 percent. The second-closest area of emphasis was the city’s public transit system, with 38 percent.

ETC also compared Oklahoma City’s survey responses to 24 benchmark cities in the country, including Dallas; Wichita, Kan.; Durham, N.C.; Denver; Tulsa; and San Diego.

In that respect, Oklahoma City residents were less satisfied with the quality of life in the city than the national average (68 percent versus 77 percent), but they were more pleased with Oklahoma City as a place to live (85 percent versus 81 percent).

[betts]

Our transit system is terrible, and improvement needs to be emphasized. We need to look at how we can improve it in the here and now, with available resources like buses and trolleys, while working on the big picture of light rail transit. I'd hate to see all the financial and intellectual emphasis go to light rail, which will take years, leaving our existing system so poorly run. When I lived in Denver, I took the bus all the time. I didn't even own a car. Buses are perfectly acceptable transportation for people of all economic classes in big cities, so having a great bus system should be a reason for pride in any city, and that's where we need to start.

[wsucougz]

Electric Trolley System!

When you say "available resources like buses and trolleys," I can't help but read it as buses and buses.

[Kerry]

If the city really wanted to create a viable public transit system it will focus all energy inside I-240/I-44/I-35. If you live out on Northwest Expressway or South Oklahoma City then tough. That is what you get for moving out of the urban core without reliable transportation. They could start by implementing a hub and spoke system using large capacity buses to link major satellite stations and a downtown hub. Small 15 passenger buses could provide circulator routes into neighborhoods. Due to the short route distance route frequency can be increased which will make the system more convenient.

Once a rail system is funded the large capacity buses could be replaced by at-grade electric trolleys. The large capacity buses would then be used to expand service into area further out. These extended high capacity bus routes would eventually be replaced by lightrail.

The system should also be free to use. If the goal of the system is to relieve traffic congestion (perceived or not), save the environment (perceived or not) or reduce roadway wear and tear (perceived or not) then everything that discourages usage should be eliminated. How many storied do we see where service is free for the first month and ridership goes through the roof but when they start charging 25 cents counts plummet? If a bus is 100% full then start charging but until then the system should be 100% free to user. Let advertising pay for it.

[andy157]

Why does our City Council continue to spend tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, year, after year, on these surveys? If the current management has to have a firm from Kansas come in and advise them of what we as taxpaying citizens need and/or want, then maybe we need different management.

[BG918]

If the city really wanted to create a viable public transit system it will focus all energy inside I-240/I-44/I-35. If you live out on Northwest Expressway or South Oklahoma City then tough. That is what you get for moving out of the urban core without reliable transportation. They could start by implementing a hub and spoke system using large capacity buses to link major satellite stations and a downtown hub. Small 15 passenger buses could provide circulator routes into neighborhoods. Due to the short route distance route frequency can be increased which will make the system more convenient.

Once a rail system is funded the large capacity buses could be replaced by at-grade electric trolleys. The large capacity buses would then be used to expand service into area further out. These extended high capacity bus routes would eventually be replaced by lightrail.

The system should also be free to use. If the goal of the system is to relieve traffic congestion (perceived or not), save the environment (perceived or not) or reduce roadway wear and tear (perceived or not) then everything that discourages usage should be eliminated. How many storied do we see where service is free for the first month and ridership goes through the roof but when they start charging 25 cents counts plummet? If a bus is 100% full then start charging but until then the system should be 100% free to user. Let advertising pay for it.

Those outside the loop would be less likely to use it anyways except for commuter rail which would have stations with park n ride in north/south OKC as well as Edmond, Moore and Norman. Making the bus system better inside the loop along with light rail connecting the denser urban districts there is a better plan than trying to "fix" the whole city. OKC is too spread out outside the loop and it would be too overwhelming, not to mention futile because of the low ridership and low densities.