A massmail was sent to all students on campus inviting them to participate in an online survey for miPLAN. By calling it miPLAN (pronounced my plan), the plan will have more credibility than if it were called theirPLAN.
The survey is here.
Here is a sample of questions:
11. What was the most recent week-day on which you had class, had to use the library, lab (etc.) or go to work?
12. On the very first trip on that most recent week-day for academic or work purposes (i.e. not including going out to coffee or breakfast or meeting friends), how did you get from your residence hall or on-campus apartment to that location?
Now, question 12 comes after 10c.
10c. In the past month, how have you most often gone from your off-campus residence to the campus?
I live off campus (And the survey knew that, because it asked in a multiple-choice question), so I'm not sure how they would like me to answer question 12.
Question 29 is a good one. I have a feeling the results will be used to ask for more money:
29. For commuting: Suppose that an CU-MTD bus ran every 30 minutes, came within a block or two of where you live and ran directly to within a block or two of your campus or other local destination, that it ran frequently and took no more than 1 ½ times as long as the same trip by car. Thinking realistically, how likely would you be to use it to get around campus or Champaign-Urbana once a week or more?
Question 40 asks if you would be more likely to bus or bike to campus if there were "small cars to rent by the hour on or near campus" or a "Guaranteed Ride Home (for example a free taxi) if you had an emergency during the day"
The last question is more preaching than a question.
And the final question …. For the sake of controlling traffic congestion as the Champaign/Urbana area grows, reducing the number of people who drive alone is a high priority.41a. In your own words, what is the main reason that you ride the bus, carpool, vanpool, bike or walk to your primary campus destinations?
Having gone through the survey, it seems there are many questions like "If the MTD were better, would you use it more?" I think it's clear people will tend to answer yes, and those responses will be used to ask for more funding.
There were no questions about a tram and no questions about if students are worried a bus will hit them as they walk to class.
Anyway, it looks like anyone can see the survey. I hope it doesn't mess up their results if people look at it.
did they ask the question - "if you had the option of not paying the annual fee, would you forgo the annual bus pass?"
Of course not. No questions that might suggest an interest in defunding or reducing the size of the MTD. It's just a matter of how much to expand. Very progressive.
Or, how about:
How would you feel if the annual fee was 1/3 of what it currently is, but instead of getting unlimited rides, you got a finite number of tokens which you could use any time you like?
(A token-based system with finite rides would eliminate the Tragedy of the Commons problem - overuse of a free public good. MTD service is free once sunk cost is in the past because marginal cost of consuming additional units is zero.)
Promoted.
Pedestrians might not get hit by a bus (or a car, or a van, etc.) if they would take out the earphones, quit talking on the cell phone, pay attention to where they are walking.
Think of the braking force needed to stop a 2500 lb. car or a 25,000 lb. bus. Basic Physics, dude.
(Can you tell my dad was a Teamster? He supported Teamsters for a Democratic Union.)
Good post. These MTD surveys always seem so helpful and pro-rider but turn out to be pro-expansion of services (aka more buses on the street and more MTD presence).
I agree that asking if you'd rather have a pay-as-you-go token is more cost efficient for everyone, not to mention kids using more exercise (walk/bike), more healthy means throughout campus.
the best argument for the current system on campus is that it allows everyone to just get on, no need to collect tokens/money, and it dramatically speeds the movement of the buses. I think that has some validity. But then to turn around and use the high usage numbers this system creates as an excuse for expansion of service (or a tram), without considering changing this system, is wrong.
They have to show an iPass now to ride, I think, so asking them to swipe it or some other card wouldn't take much longer.
Actually IP, for the campus routes such as the 22, 21, 26, students don't show a card. Anyone can ride those for "free"
I think UIUC id's should include RFID technology. MTD could install RFID readers and use that for boarding.
RFID = Mobil speedpass, anti-shoplifting tags, tollway passes, etc. RFIDs are read without the need for contact. Magstripes are unreliable to the extent that people damage them.
But let's not lose track of the point being discussed. We're talking about the need to eliminate over-use of a free public good. The point of RFIDs is to replace physical tokens as a means of providing a finite number of rides for a fixed fee.