Transportation Survey Draft Outline

MIT Transportation Survey

Questionnaire for Faculty and Staff

Cover goes here

MIT Planning Office

Thank you for your willingness to participate in the 1997 MIT Transportation Survey. This survey should take about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. Your participation is completely voluntary, and all replies will be anonymous. The responses to the survey will be held in the strictest confidence and only be used for MIT purposes. You may skip any question you do not want to answer, and you may stop at any time. By providing your frank answers, you’re giving the Institute the ability to better meet your needs and to improve your quality of life.

There is a glossary at the end of this survey to explain any terms that may be unfamiliar.

A. Background

1. What is the ZIP Code for your home?

2. In which building do you work?

(You may use the following codes as the prefix for your building:

M - Main Campus	N - North of Railroad Tracks	WW - West West
W - West Campus	NE - Northeast	LIN - Lincoln Lab
E - East of Ames Street	NW - Northwest	OCR - Off-campus	)

3. What is your status at MIT? (please check only ONE)

a) o faculty	b) o administrative staff	c) o other academic staff
d) o support staff	e) o research staff	f) o service staff
g) o medical staff

h) o other (please specify)

4. With which department or program are you affiliated?

5. Which best describes your status? (please check only ONE)

a) o full-time

b) o part-time

c) o visiting

d) o retired

B. Your Commuting Patterns

1. In the past seven days, how many days did you come to MIT?

a) o none

b) o 1

c) o 2

d) o 3

e) o 4

f) o 5

g) o 6

h) o 7

2. Of these, how many days did you come to MIT over the past weekend?

a) o none

b) o 1

c) o 2

3. During the past seven days, how many days did you run errands as you came to MIT from home?

a) o none

b) o 1

c) o 2

d) o 3

e) o 4

f) o 5

g) o 6

h) o 7

4. During the past seven days, how many days did you leave campus during the middle of your day?

a) o none

b) o 1

c) o 2

d) o 3

e) o 4

f) o 5

g) o 6

h) o 7

5. During the past seven days, how many days did you run errands as you left MIT for home?

a) o none

b) o 1

c) o 2

d) o 3

e) o 4

f) o 5

g) o 6

h) o 7

6. What were your reason(s) for these extra trips in Questions 3 through 5? (please check ALL that apply.)

a) o MIT work related	b) o other work related
c) o care for children and other relatives	d) o medical appointments
e) o volunteer work	f) o other personal business

7. At what time do you typically arrive at MIT?

o a.m.

o p.m.

8. In general, by how much does your arrival time vary? (please check only ONE)

a) o not at all	f) o by more than an hour, but only in unusual circumstances
b) o by no more than 15 minutes	g) o often by more than an hour
c) o by no more than 30 minutes	h) o it depends on my class or meeting schedule
e) o by no more than an hour

9. At what time do you typically leave MIT?

o a.m.

o p.m.

10. In general, by how much does your departure time vary? (please check only ONE)

a) o not at all	f) o by more than an hour, but only in unusual circumstances
b) o by no more than 15 minutes	g) o often by more than an hour
c) o by no more than 30 minutes	h) o it depends on my class or meeting schedule
e) o by no more than an hour

11. Does your job allow you to have a more flexible schedule?

a) o yes

b) o no

c) o not sure

12. Do you have a driver’s license?

a) o yes

b) o no (please skip to Question 14)

13. If you drive a car, do you have an MIT parking permit? (please check only ONE)

a) o yes, a monthly permit	c) o no, I don’t need one	f) o I don’t drive around MIT
b) o yes, an occasional use permit	d) o no, I couldn’t afford one
	e) o no, I couldn’t get one

14. Do you have a monthly MBTA pass?

a) o yes

b) o no (please skip to Question 17)

15. If you have a monthly MBTA pass, which one do you have? (please check only ONE)

a) o local bus	commuter rail:	g) o zone 1A	k) o zone 3	o) o zone 7
b) o subway		h) o zone 1B	l) o zone 4	p) o zone 8
c) o combo		i) o zone 1	m) o zone 5	q) o zone 9
e) o combo plus		j) o zone 2	n) o zone 6
f) o commuter boat

16. If you have an MBTA pass, about how many days during the last month did you ride the MBTA for any trip (not just coming to MIT)? days

17. How many days during the past seven days did you work at home before coming into MIT, or after leaving MIT?

a) o none

b) o 1

c) o 2

d) o 3

e) o 4

f) o 5

g) o 6

h) o 7

18. How many days during the past seven days did you work at home instead of coming into MIT?

a) o none

b) o 1

c) o 2

d) o 3

e) o 4

f) o 5

g) o 6

h) o 7

19. Would you say that compared to a year ago ... (please check only ONE)

a) o you work at home more now than a year ago

b) o you work at home less now than a year ago

c) o you work at home about the same amount

d) o you can’t compare because you weren’t at MIT a year ago

20. If you work at home, do you connect via computer to MIT networks? (please check only ONE)

a) o yes

b) o no, I don’t connect to MIT networks (please GO ON to Section C)

c) o no, I don’t have a computer at home (please GO ON to Section C)

d) o no, I don’t work from home (please GO ON to Section C)

21. If you connect to MIT networks from home, what are your reasons for connecting? (please check ALL that apply)

a) o to send and receive email	b) o to access Athena
c) o to access a departmental server	d) o to access institute mainframes

C. Your Primary Way of Commuting to MIT

1. Think about your primary way of commuting to MIT. Which mode or modes do you use as you come from home to MIT? (If you vary your commute depending on the season, consider how you came to MIT the past seven days.)

Place a 1 by the mode you use first during your trip, a 2 by the one you use second (if any), and so on. (Don’t count walking between vehicles. If you walk all the way from home to MIT, place a 1 by "walk all the way.")

Example 1. If most of the time, you bicycle to MIT, lock your bike at an outside rack, and then walk to your office, place a 1 by "bicycle." Don’t place a 2 by "walk all the way."

Example 2. If you drive all the way to MIT and drop off a passenger along the way, place a 1 by "by car; driving, with passengers" and a 2 by "by car; driving alone."

Example 3. If someone drops you off at a commuter rail station, then you take the commuter rail to North Station, then the Green Line and the Red Line to Kendall Square, and then walk to your office, place a 1 by "by car; as a passenger," a 2 by "commuter rail," and a 3 by "subway."

Don’t record how you get to MIT on days when you don’t travel by your primary way.

Sequence in which you use this mode	Mode
	bicycle
	bus
	MBTA bus
	a second MBTA bus
	SafeRide
	M2 / LMA / medical shuttle
	Lincoln Lab shuttle
	Wellesley shuttle
	Charles River TMA shuttle
	by car
	driving alone
	driving, with passengers
	as a passenger
	commuter boat, ferry
	commuter rail
	motorcycle
	subway
	other (please specify )
	walk all the way

2. How long does it typically take you to come to MIT this way? (Count the time from when you leave home to when you get to your office, lab or class) minutes

3. Of your commuting time to MIT, how much do you spend ...

a) walking minutes

b) waiting for vehicles minutes

c) in vehicles minutes

4. Estimate your monthly cost of commuting to and from MIT. Think about all your expenses, such as gas, parking, insurance, tolls, fares, transit passes, and wear and tear. $ .

5. How satisfied are you with this way of commuting? Please rate your level of satisfaction with the following aspects of your trip:

	Very Dissatisfied	Dissatisfied	Neutral	Satisfied	Very Satisfied
a) Speed / time	1	2	3	4	5
b) Cost	1	2	3	4	5
c) Convenience	1	2	3	4	5
d) Flexibility / can make stops	1	2	3	4	5
e) Privacy	1	2	3	4	5
f) Safety	1	2	3	4	5
g) Reliability	1	2	3	4	5
h) Productive use of time	1	2	3	4	5
i) Environmentally responsible	1	2	3	4	5
j) Overall rating	1	2	3	4	5

6. If your commute involves traveling by car, what are some of the major roads you take? (In other words, how would you describe your route to a neighbor or colleague?)

7. If you share a car with others, are they ... (please check ALL that apply)

a) o family	c) o neighbors	e) o members of an organized carpool
b) o roommates	d) o classmates/officemates/labmates	f) o members of an organized vanpool

8. How did you find out about this way of coming to MIT? (please check ALL that apply)

a) o asking friends, relatives or colleagues

b) o using a map

c) o using transit schedules

d) o calling an information line (for example, the MBTA information line, 222-3200)

e) o exploring the city during spare time

f) o trying to find your way by following signs or asking strangers when necessary

g) o I have a lot of experience with the city from other jobs, residences, attending various events, etc.

h) o I can’t remember

9. How often do you come this way to MIT, compared to other ways you might come to MIT (for example using different modes, or different streets when driving)? (please check only ONE)

a) o all the time	c) o 50 to 80 percent of the time
b) o 80 percent of the time (4 days out of five) or more	d) o 25 to 50 percent of the time

e) o less than 25 percent of the time (for example, during a week, you use a different way each day)

D. Opinions about Your Current Commute

1. Below are some reasons people may have for choosing how they commute (that is, which modes or routes) and when they commute. For each reason, please say to what extent each reason affects your choice of mode in column 1, and your choice of departure time in column 2. If a reason is not applicable to your commute, check the "Not Applicable" column.

		1 To what extent does this affect how you commute?					2 To what extent does this affect when you commute?
	Not Applicable	Not at All	Very Little	Little	Much	Very Much	Not at All	Very Little	Little	Much	Very Much
a) My child or children need to get to day care or school	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
b) I must help care for an elder relative	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
c) I must help care for a family member with special needs	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
d) I frequently carry many heavy items (for example, books, tools, equipment)	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
e) There is not much public transportation near where I live	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
f) Finding parking near my home is too difficult	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
g) Finding parking near MIT can be difficult	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
h) The cost of owning and operating a car is too expensive	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
i) A disability prevents me from driving	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
j) A disability prevents me from using public transportation	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
k) I try to make decisions that take the environment into account	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
l) It is very important that I get to MIT on time	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
m) I don’t feel safe walking at night	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
n) I don’t feel safe riding public transportation at night	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
o) I don’t feel safe waiting for public transportation at night	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
p) I don’t feel comfortable/safe using public transportation during the day	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
q) I need my time traveling between home and MIT to relax and organize my thoughts	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
r) Other people in my household need our car(s)	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
s) The final walk to my lab, office or class is too long	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5
t) I consult radio, TV or telephone traffic or transit reports to avoid delays	0	1	2	3	4	5	1	2	3	4	5

2. Below are some reasons people may have for living where they do. For each reason, please say to what extent each reason affects your choice of where to live. If a reason is not applicable to your choice of where to live, check the "Not Applicable" column.

		To what extent does this affect your choice of where you live?
	Not Applicable	Not at All	Very Little	Little	Much	Very Much
a) I like living in a bustling city	0	1	2	3	4	5
b) I like living in a quiet neighborhood	0	1	2	3	4	5
c) I did not have much time to search for housing	0	1	2	3	4	5
d) I cannot afford to pay much for housing	0	1	2	3	4	5
e) I want to live in a community with a good school system	0	1	2	3	4	5
f) I want to live close to MIT because I often work late	0	1	2	3	4	5
g) I want to live close to MIT so I don’t have to commute as far	0	1	2	3	4	5
h) I chose my house so I can commute by my preferred means	0	1	2	3	4	5
i) My neighborhood is safer than other places I could live	0	1	2	3	4	5
j) The features of my home (for example, the view, hardwood floors, air conditioning, laundry, yard) are a large factor in why I chose to live where I do	0	1	2	3	4	5
k) I like to live near other people who are involved with MIT	0	1	2	3	4	5
l) I live where I do because of my spouse, family or roommate	0	1	2	3	4	5

E. Transportation Options

1. Which of the following do you have at home? (please check ALL that apply)

a) o a computer	f) o an ethernet card
a modem:	g) o a fax machine
b) o 9600 bps or slower	h) o a second phone line at home
c) o 14.4 Kbps	i) o a tether account
d) o 28.8 Kbps or faster
e) o I’m not sure of the modem’s speed

2. Here are some statements about attitudes toward commuting options. Please indicate the extent to which you agree with these statements.

	Not Applicable	Disagree Strongly	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Agree Strongly
a) I can be more productive working at home	0	1	2	3	4	5
b) I need to interact with other people at MIT daily	0	1	2	3	4	5
c) Most of my work can be done at home	0	1	2	3	4	5
d) Working at home gives me the flexibility I need to care for my family	0	1	2	3	4	5
e) I enjoy city driving	0	1	2	3	4	5
f) I like learning one reliable way to come to MIT and sticking with it	0	1	2	3	4	5
g) I like learning about all the options before I settle on my preferred way of commuting	0	1	2	3	4	5
h) I do not have space to work at home	0	1	2	3	4	5
i) In order to advance, it’s important to be around campus so others can see how productive you are	0	1	2	3	4	5
j) I need a car for carrying groceries	0	1	2	3	4	5
k) I need a car for weekend trips	0	1	2	3	4	5
l) The Office of Parking and Transportation provides sufficient information about commute options	0	1	2	3	4	5
m) MIT does a good job helping people find matches for carpooling or vanpooling	0	1	2	3	4	5
n) Public transportation schedules should be made more available on campus	0	1	2	3	4	5
o) MIT should encourage people to log in from home	0	1	2	3	4	5
p) MIT should encourage people to use public transportation more	0	1	2	3	4	5
q) MIT should encourage people to walk, bike, skate, etc., more	0	1	2	3	4	5
r) If I had a reliable, inexpensive way of getting home in an emergency, I would take public transportation, carpool or vanpool more often	0	1	2	3	4	5
s) MIT should have more shuttles to important transportation centers (such as North Station)	0	1	2	3	4	5
t) MIT should have an on-campus daytime shuttle	0	1	2	3	4	5
u) I find public transportation schedules confusing	0	1	2	3	4	5
v) I often consult maps and/or public transportation schedules	0	1	2	3	4	5
w) I’d feel comfortable parking a car at MIT lots	0	1	2	3	4	5
x) I’d feel comfortable locking a bike at MIT racks	0	1	2	3	4	5
y) I know my way around the city well, and can easily find another route	0	1	2	3	4	5
z) I change the way I travel depending on the time of day or season of the year	0	1	2	3	4	5

3. Based on your needs, which of the following list of transportation investments would you most like to see MIT make? Please indicate your top three choices by placing a 1 in the blank by your top choice, a 2 by your second choice, and a 3 by your third choice.

a)	more frequent shuttle bus service	b)	smoother sidewalks around MIT
c)	more convenient parking spaces	d)	better landscaping around sidewalks
e)	more bicycle racks	f)	better security for parking lots and garages
g)	greater subsidies for MBTA passes	h)	distributed bicycle lockers and showers
i)	smoother roadways around MIT	j)	enhanced access to MIT computer networks
k)	separate bike and pedestrian paths	l)	free access to the M2 / LMA shuttle
m)	shuttle buses to
n)	other:

4. Now, considering the needs of the whole MIT community and the environment, which do you think are the most important transportation investments for MIT to make? Please indicate your top three choices by placing a 1 in the blank by your top choice, a 2 by your second choice, and a 3 by your third choice.

a)	more frequent shuttle bus service	b)	smoother sidewalks around MIT
c)	more convenient parking spaces	d)	better landscaping around sidewalks
e)	more bicycle racks	f)	better security for parking lots and garages
g)	greater subsidies for MBTA passes	h)	distributed bicycle lockers and showers
i)	smoother roadways around MIT	j)	enhanced access to MIT computer networks
k)	separate bike and pedestrian paths	l)	free access to the M2 / LMA shuttle
m)	shuttle buses to
n)	other:

F. Inter-City Travel

This section addresses trips you need to make by air for business related to MIT.

1. How many times a year do you need to make business trips by air?

(If you don’t make any business trips by air, enter zero, and skip to section G)

2. Please think back to your last business trip when you flew somewhere outside of the Boston metropolitan area. Where did you park your car when you made this trip? (please check only ONE)

a) o at the airport	b) o at a park and ride lot
c) o at MIT	d) o at home / I didn’t drive / I don’t have a car

3. How did you get between MIT and the airport? (please check ALL that apply)

a) o by personal car	b) o by MBTA
c) o by a car driven by a friend, relative or associate	d) o by a shuttle bus
e) o by taxi	f) o I didn’t leave from MIT

G. Some Final Questions

The following questions are for classification purposes and assist in identifying certain trends. Your responses are confidential and will be held in the strictest confidence.

1. About how long have you lived in the Boston metro area? years

2. About how long have you worked at MIT? years

3. About how long have you lived at your current residence? years

4. What is your gender?

a) o female

b) o male

5. What is your age?

a) o 16 or 17 years	c) o 21 to 24 years	e) o 30 to 39 years	g) o 50 years or older
b) o 18 to 20 years	d) o 25 to 29 years	f) o 40 to 49 years

6. Are you ...

a) o single, separated, divorced or widowed

b) o married or in a long-term relationship

7. How many children live in your home?

8. Do you ...

a) o own your home

b) o rent or lease your home, condominium or apartment

9. Which of the following categories would you use to describe yourself? (please check ALL that apply)

a) o Asian	d) o Native American
b) o Black	e) o Caucasian
c) o Hispanic	f) o Other (please specify )

10. Which category best describes your annual household income, before taxes?

a) o Less than $25,000	c) o $50,000 to $74,999	e) o $100,000 to $149,999
b) o $25,000 to $49,999	d) o $75,000 to $99,999	f) o $150,000 or more

11. Please give us any comments you may have about transportation at MIT or about this survey.

Thank you very much for your assistance with our research and planning efforts. Please fold this survey form in half, tape or staple it shut, and place it in any interdepartmental mail box.

Glossary

Boston metropolitan area (or the city, etc.)

The Boston metropolitan area includes Boston and all the cities and towns around it that are economically tied to it. Since you commute to MIT, wherever you live is considered part of the Boston metropolitan area.

carpool

A carpool is two or more people together in a car or other privately-owned vehicle.

Charles River TMA

MIT and several other employers in Cambridge participate in a Transportation Management Association (TMA) called the Charles River TMA to provide better travel options to their employees, and to comply with federal and state transportation and environmental policies. The TMA may provide assistance managing parking spaces, organizing car- and vanpools, and operating shuttle buses. The Charles River TMA runs a shuttle from near Tech Square and One Kendall Square to near the B.U. Bridge. The TMA shuttle is operated under contract by Paul Revere Transportation.

commute

For this survey, a commute refers to a trip from your home to MIT, or from MIT back home. You may stop off along the way at other places.

M2 / LMA / medical shuttle

Paul Revere Transportation operates a shuttle bus -- identifiable from its blue stripes -- for Harvard. The M2 route connects the Harvard Medical School in the Longwood Medical Area (LMA) to the main Harvard campus in Cambridge. This shuttle bus also stops at 77 Mass. Ave.

mode

Mode refers to your method of travel, and is often described by a type of vehicle. Autos, buses, trains and bicycles are examples of modes. Walking is a mode that doesn’t involve a vehicle. Often, it’s useful to know how many people are traveling together in an auto; therefore, driving alone and carpooling may be treated as separate modes.

organized carpool

Large employers or government agencies may often help people traveling to the same place form a carpool. The participants in an organized carpool may not have known each other before. Often, there is a formal procedure where members of an organized carpool share costs equally (for example, by taking turns driving, or by a passenger reimbursing the driver at a fixed per-mile rate).

organized vanpool

An organized vanpool is similar to an organized carpool, except more people are riding together, so a larger vehicle is used. The van may be owned by a company or government agency, instead of belonging to one of the vanpool participants.

personal business

Trips for other personal business include any errands you make for your household or your own personal benefit. Trips to the bank, drug store, dry cleaners or hardware store are examples of trips in this category.

public transportation (or public transit)

Public transportation means any mode that a member of the public can use. The vehicles used do not need to be owned by public agencies. For example, Peter Pan and Plymouth & Brockton are two private bus operators that offer commuter service. Because anyone can buy a ticket, they are considered public transportation. The MBTA, of course, is also public transportation.

route

Route means the path in the city you make as you travel. Drivers may take different routes to the same place by using different streets, or by using a freeway instead of a street. Buses are given a route number and/or name to identify the places where the bus starts and stops, and the road it travels on to get there.

telecommuting

Telecommuters use equipment such as fax machines and networked computers to work somewhere other than MIT — often at home. Because they don’t need to go in to work every day, telecommuters help reduce congestion, pollution, and of course, wear and tear on their autos.

tether account

People who live off campus and have a computer with a modem at home can dial in to use Athena. A tether account offers a communications protocol that allows users to run graphical programs such as Netscape Navigator and Eudora through Athena, rather than being restricted to a text-only screen.

fold booklet here

INTERDEPARTMENTAL

MIT Transportation Survey

MIT Planning Office

Room 12-156

77 Mass. Ave

Cambridge MA 02139

If you have questions or comments, send email to planning-www@mit.edu
Last updated: 09/13/99