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This questionnaire is available in PDF format.
Travelers with sensory impairments, as well as seniors, require alternatives for accessing and processing transit information that may be available to the general public. Transit agencies have implemented a wide range of policies and procedures to address the information needs of persons with disabilities. The goal of this project is to identify the current practices of transit agencies in this regard, and to provide ideas for future improvements in this area. Respondents should answer all questions relevant to their operations, while providing information on what is working and what is not working in the area of Communicating with Persons with Disabilities in a Multimodal Transit Environment. All survey responses will be confidential and will be presented only in an aggregate format. Please call the number at the end of this survey if you have any questions concerning either survey questions or the confidentiality of your response. The final results will be synthesized into a report available from the Transportation Research Board (TRB).
Please complete this survey BY FRIDAY NOVEMBER 19, 1999 and return it by FAX or MAIL to:
Ms. Angela S. Iannuzziello, P.Eng.
ENTRA Consultants (Int'l) Inc.
2020 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Suite 909
Washington, D.C. 20006
Toll Free Fax: 1-888-959-3400
Toll Free Phone: 1-800-959-6788
If you would like to respond to the survey by email, please email your request to
info@entra-markham.com and the survey questionnaire will be email to you.
Please call Ms. Angela S. Iannuzziello, should you have any questions regarding the survey or the synthesis paper.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!
Transit Agency Name _______________________ Name/Title of Respondent ________________
Contact Phone Number (_____) _______________ Contact Fax Number (_____)______________
A. What is the approximate geographic area (square miles) of your agency's service area? ___________
B. What is the total population in your agency's service area? _____________
C. What was the total budget (operating and capital) for your agency in Fiscal Year 1998?
Operating Budget $ _________________
Capital Budget $ _________________
D. What was the total number of passengers carried by your transit agency in 1998? ______________
E. What percentage of passengers in your service area are persons with disabilities? _________ %
F. What percentage of passengers in your service area are seniors? __________ %
G. What modes of transportation are provided by your agency? (Check all that apply.)
| Commuter Rail | Heavy Rail | Subway | Light Rail | ||||
| Streetcar | Rapid Transit (Bus) | Trolley Bus | Ferry | ||||
| Urban Transit Bus | Van Pool | Others (Specify): | |||||
H. Please check all of the transportation operators that your agency connects with:
| Rail | Air | Bus | Ferry | ||||
| Others (specify): | |||||||
The following questions pertain to how your agency communicates with persons with disabilities.
1. Please indicate from the list below the method(s) of communication that your agency currently uses and check the effectiveness of each method.
| COMMUNICATION METHODS | In Use | Very Ineffective | Not Effective | Somewhat Effective | Effective | Very Effective |
| Communicating with the Public | ||||||
| Telephone information service | ||||||
| TDD phone information service | ||||||
| Automated telephone information service | ||||||
| Web-based information service | ||||||
| Automated information kiosks/touch screens | ||||||
| Fax information service | ||||||
| Travel Planning | ||||||
| Trip planning | ||||||
| Customer training | ||||||
| Mentoring | ||||||
| Travel ambassadors | ||||||
| Communicating with Passengers at Transit Terminals and Stops | ||||||
| Male/female voices for vehicle direction | ||||||
| PIBS (Passenger Information at Bus Stops) | ||||||
| Audio pathways | ||||||
| Audio induction loop system | ||||||
| On-Vehicle Communication | ||||||
| Call-out stops (voice) | ||||||
| Call-out stops (electronic) | ||||||
| Captioning | ||||||
| Electronic Vehicle Identification | ||||||
| Global Positioning Systems (GPS) | ||||||
| Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS) | ||||||
| Infrared Transmission Systems | ||||||
| Tactile Features | ||||||
| Detectable warnings (e.g., surface treatments) | ||||||
| Tactile maps | ||||||
| Braille cards | ||||||
| Other Forms of Communication | ||||||
| Specialized signage for the visually impaired (e.g., white on dark background) | ||||||
| Symbols for persons with visual impairments | ||||||
| Color coding | ||||||
| Flashing warning lights | ||||||
| Captioning | ||||||
| Digitized voice messages | ||||||
| Please list and rate any others not mentioned | ||||||
2. Describe any problem(s) with the communication methods you are currently using.
3. Please summarize comments or feedback received from persons with disabilities on your communication methods.
4. Will you be making any improvements to your current communication methods? If yes, specify.
5. Does your agency use electronic display signs to address the information needs of persons with disabilities?
| Yes | No |
If "yes," please answer the following questions. If "no," please skip to question number 8.
5a) What type of information is transmitted? (Please check all that apply.)
| Next vehicle departure | Fare information | News | |||
| Schedule | Safety information | Weather | |||
| Location | Special events | Advertising | |||
| Others (please specify): | |||||
6. Where is the electronic display located? (Please check all that apply.)
| Inside train | Inside trolley | Bus waiting area | |||
| Inside bus | Outside the bus | Transit terminal | |||
| Inside streetcar | Outside the train | Train platform | |||
| Others (please specify): | |||||
7. Is there an audio system provided for those customers who are unable to read the electronic display?
| Yes | No |
7a) If "yes," describe the system:
7b) If "no," why not?
8. Does your transit system have procedures for the announcing/call-out of stops?
| Yes | No |
8a) How are stops announced?
9. On what vehicles are these stops announced?
10. Which of the following methods does your transit agency use to determine the communications requirements of persons with disabilities? (Please check all that apply.)
| Customer surveys | Field observations | ||
| Other customer input | Focus groups | ||
| Consultation with organizations representing persons with disabilities | |||
| Others (please specify): | |||
11. Which factors are important in determining the priorities for improving communication with persons with disabilities? Please indicate the effectiveness of the following factors:
| PRIORITIES FOR IMPROVEMENTS | Not Important | Somewhat Important | Important | Very Important |
| Feasibility | ||||
| Cost | ||||
| How it fits in overall plan | ||||
| Number of requests for improvement | ||||
| Integration with needs of general population | ||||
| Government legislation | ||||
| Others (please specify): |
12. Does your transit agency have an overall plan for improving communications to persons with disabilities?
| Yes | No |
12a) If "yes," please summarize this plan and submit the plan if possible.
12b) If "no," why is there no plan?
13. How important is it to integrate plans for persons with disabilities with overall plans for the transit system and why?
14. What percentage of your agency's total budget is spent on communicating with persons with disabilities? __________ %
15. Please indicate the sources of funding for spending on communications for persons with disabilities. (For each source, state percentage of total spending.)
| Federal government | Local government | Private business | |||
| State/Provincial government | Agencies representing disabled persons | Others (please specify): | |||
16. If your agency received a lump sum of unrestricted funding to spend on communicating with persons with disabilities, how would you use this money? (Please be as specific as possible.)
17. Is the current funding from external sources adequate to pay for communications for persons with disabilities? Please discuss.
18. What percentage of your transit agency's total advertising budget is spent on advertising to persons with disabilities? ___________ %
19. What are the most effective ways of marketing to persons with disabilities? Please indicate the effectiveness of the following media by degree of effectiveness in advertising to persons with disabilities.
| METHODS OF ADVERTISING | Very Ineffective | Not Effective | Somewhat Effective | Effective | Very Effective |
| Radio | |||||
| Television | |||||
| Internet | |||||
| Newspaper | |||||
| Magazine | |||||
| Transit promotional material | |||||
| Electronic signs | |||||
| Others (please specify): |
20. What are the operational problems associated with providing communications for persons with disabilities? (If none, please skip to Question 22.)
20a) Please suggest ways of improving these operational problems.
21. Does your agency investigate if the communications methods provided at connecting transportation terminals (Bus, Rail, Air, Ferry) are appropriate for your passengers with a disability?
| Yes | No |
21a) If yes, what methods are they using?
21b) How does your agency distribute this information to your passengers?
21c) If no, why doesn't your agency investigate the communication methods available for your passengers?
22. Describe any special problems related to the multimodal aspect of your operation in the provision of communications to persons with disabilities.
22a) Please suggest ways to solve these problems of multimodal integration.
23. Does your agency provide special training to front-line personnel to educate them about the communication needs of persons with disabilities?
| Yes | No |
23a) If "yes," describe the training.
23b) If "no," why is training not provided?
24. What is the most important reason for taking steps to improve communications with persons with disabilities? (Please check one only.)
| Government legislation | Attracts more customers | Others (please specify): | ||
| Public demands | Improves the situation for all customers |
25. Do you feel that improvements in communications for persons with disabilities are an advantage to all transit customers? Please choose the most appropriate response and explain.
| Not an advantage at all | Minor disadvantage | No impact | |||
| Minor advantage | Major advantage |
25a) Please explain.
26. Was your agency involved in any pilot projects or case studies that involve improving communication or accessibility for persons with disabilities? Please describe the project and the results or attach pamphlets or reports documenting the project.
27. How does your agency identify ways of improving communication for passengers with disabilities?
**** Please attach any pamphlets or reports documenting your current **** or future communication methods. Thank You.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME
This questionnaire is available in PDF format.
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