Caltrans District #7 (Los Angeles/Ventura)

Caltrans District #8 (San Bernardino/Riverside)

BACKGROUND

1-800-COMMUTE is a toll free number for accessing transportation information. This number is currently operating in several different areas of California, including Caltrans Districts #7 (Los Angeles/Ventura) and #8 (San Bernardino/Riverside).

The number acts primarily as a "pass through" system, allowing callers to dial one, convenient number to access transportation information from a variety of local transportation and transportation information providers. When callers dial 1-800-COMMUTE, they hear a recorded voice offering them instructions in either English or Spanish. Once callers have chosen a language, they are offered a "menu" of transportation types and instructed to press the appropriate number on their telephone for each type of information. After callers choose an option by pressing a number, they are transferred out of the 1-800-COMMUTE system and "passed through" to the appropriate transportation and/or information provider in order to get the information they want.

The number was put into effect in Caltrans District #7 in February 1994 in response to the urgent need for information on transportation alternatives after the January 1995 Northridge Earthquake. The number began operation in District #8 in March 1995.

As with any product that has been created to serve consumer needs, it is important to understand whether users of 1-800-COMMUTE are satisfied with it and how it could be improved to better meet their needs.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research study was to gather consumer feedback on the 1-800-COMMUTE number in terms of overall user satisfaction with the service and how the service can be improved and enhanced.

STUDY METHODOLOGY

This study consists of telephone interviews with callers to 1-800-COMMUTE in Districts #7 (called "Los Angeles" in this report) and #8 (called "San Bernardino"). Originating numbers for all calls to 1-800-COMMUTE are captured and it was this base of caller numbers that provided the sample frame for the study. All telephone interviews were done between October 27 and November 5, 1995.

Due to the anticipated difficulty in locating the person who called 1-800-COMMUTE from a business phone, the study was conducted only among residential callers. Originating numbers that were businesses, hotels, schools, or government offices were excluded from participation.

In addition, in order to conduct the interview it was necessary to speak with callers who could recall making the call to 1-800-COMMUTE. Therefore, originating numbers from

STUDY METHODOLOGY (continued)

the most recently available month(s) were used to increase the probability that the calling experience would be fresh in the mind of the caller.

Due to the large base of originating numbers in the Los Angeles area, all originating numbers that were contacted had placed calls to 1-800-COMMUTE in September 1995. However, due to the smaller base of incoming calls in the San Bernardino area, it was necessary to contact callers who had called in July, August and September in order to achieve a large enough sample of callers.

The percentage of originating numbers saying that no one had called 1-800-COMMUTE was found to be substantial, with about 60% in Los Angeles and nearly 70% in San Bernardino claiming not to have called 1-800-COMMUTE in the past several months.

	Los Angeles		San Bernardino
	Number	%	Number	%
Total Numbers Called	6,731	100%	4,944	100%
No answer / busy / disconnect / etc.	3,165	47	2,021	41
Language problems	159	2	62	1
Refusals	768	11	803	16
Non-residential numbers	1,341	20	731	15
Total Asked Whether They Called 1-800-COMMUTE in Past Three Months	1,298	19 100%	1,327	27 100%
Claimed no one called	771	59	905	68
Identified caller	527	41	422	32
Disqualified (age, security screen)	94	7	46	3
Wouldn't complete interview	133	10	76	6
Completed interviews	300	23	300	23

This high rate of claimed "non-usage" may have several possible explanations:

An easy way for potential respondents to refuse to participate.

Difficulty in locating the actual person who made the call at the originating number because no one in the household knows who called (a visitor to the household may have called).

Stronger identification of information needs with the specific transportation service than with the number itself.

STUDY METHODOLOGY (continued)

Final sample sizes and specifications for this study are outlined below:

District	Originating Area Codes	# of Interviews	Month Called 1-800-COMMUTE
#7: Los Angeles Area	213,310,818,805	300	September 1995
#8: San Bernardino Area	909	300 Total 145 79 76	September 1995 August 1995 July 1995

The telephone interview was about 20 minutes in length and covered the following general topics:

Transportation use by commuters and non-commuters

1-800-COMMUTE usage and general satisfaction

Description and evaluation of most recent call

Potential future 1-800-COMMUTE service options

Demographics

A copy of the questionnaire and computer tabulations of the results are on file and available at Pacific/West Communications Group, Inc.

CAVEAT

As with any survey research, the results of this study represent a "snapshot" of the 1-800-COMMUTE caller during a specific period of time. Callers' opinions and evaluations of the service may be effected by events that they experienced that might not be experienced by callers if this study were done at a different point in time.

For example, the callers we surveyed in October could have encountered the following isolated occurrences:

In Los Angeles, the MTA phone room moved over a three month period from August to October. During this time the level of service was somewhat inconsistent, causing difficulties in getting through and in decreased operator availability.

In Los Angeles, an equipment problem caused the 1-800-COMMUTE system to go down for two days in August.

In both Los Angeles and San Bernardino, Metrolink switched to a new answering system that produced a series of clicks, sounding like the caller had been disconnected. By the end of August a recorded message asking callers to "please wait" had been added.

When evaluating the results in this study it is important to keep in mind these "exogenous variables," how they may have affected responses, and whether they are likely to be an ongoing influence on consumer satisfaction with 1-800-COMMUTE.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Overall, the service provided by 1-800-COMMUTE is satisfactory, though there is room for improvement.

Callers actively use the information that is provided and find it to be accurate. Nearly all intend to use the service again in the future.

The major area of weakness for this product is consumers' perceptions regarding the difficulty they have getting through on the number. While the results indicate that these difficulties are probably over-reported, marketers must address these perceptions, which are certainly real in the mind of the consumer.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (continued)

It's important to note that a large segment of callers do not understand the pass through nature of the 1-800-COMMUTE number. They believe they are calling one central location. As such, all experiences, both before and after pass through, affect many consumers perception of the service.

There are several areas of potential for 1-800-COMMUTE in terms of new services to offer.

The idea of an easy three digit number to call instead of 1-800-COMMUTE has good consumer potential as it is perceived as even easier to use than 1-800-COMMUTE.

Consumers are interested in being able to use 1-800-COMMUTE to get all types of mode information, without hanging up and dialing again.

Consumers want multi-modal information that tells them the best way to get from one location to another.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (continued)

There is a surprisingly strong level of interest in accessing transportation information using the internet, among both internet users and those who have never used the internet.

In designing future services, it may be important to keep in mind that while the majority of 1-800-COMMUTE callers are using the service for commuting information, there is a noticeable segment of callers who are not commuters and that the service is being used to obtain transportation information for personal business and pleasure outings as well.

RESULTS HIGHLIGHTS

Profile of the 1-800-COMMUTE Caller

While the majority of callers to 1-800-COMMUTE are workers or students who commute at least once a week, there is a noticeable segment of non-employed and non-students (about 30% of callers) who are also taking advantage of the service.

Most of the callers to 1-800-COMMUTE are women (two-thirds), are between 18 and 44 years of age (three quarters), and have at least some college education (two thirds).

Profiles of callers from Los Angeles and from San Bernardino/Riverside differ somewhat:

Los Angeles callers are more likely to use the bus to commute (49% in L.A. vs. 23% in San Bernardino).

San Bernardino callers are more likely to be drive alone commuters (49% vs. 29% in L.A.), to be employed full time, to have professional/technical occupations, spend more time commuting, have children in the home, be Caucasian, and have higher household incomes.

1-800-COMMUTE Usage

Los Angeles callers are heavier users of 1-800-COMMUTE, reporting an average of about 12 times having ever used the number compared to about 7 times for San Bernardino callers.

Before using 1-800-COMMUTE, the most often used source for information was the individual transportation agency.

Survey data is consistent with real world data in terms of the services requested through 1-800-COMMUTE. The largest portion of users request bus information, with Metrolink requests being noticeably higher in San Bernardino.

The vast majority of callers are using 1-800-COMMUTE to get information for themselves rather than for someone else.

While the largest portion of callers are using the information for commuting purposes, segments of callers are using it for personal business or for pleasure outings, though this is more true for Los Angeles callers.

Los Angeles callers have stronger representation of non-commuters and bus riders, both of which are groups that tend to use 1-800-COMMUTE for a wider variety of purposes than drive alone commuters.

There is a sizable segment of callers who misunderstand how the 1-800-COMMUTE service works in terms of being a pass through system, though the misunderstanding is greater in L.A.

55% of L.A. callers and 39% of San Bernardino callers believe their calls go to one central location where there is a staff of operators answering questions.

RESULTS HIGHLIGHTS (continued)

1-800-COMMUTE Usage (continued)

Bus riders and drive alone commuters use the 1-800-COMMUTE service differently.

Bus riders use 1-800-COMMUTE more frequently and for a wider variety of purposes than just commuting information. They seem to have replaced direct calls to the bus company with 1-800-COMMUTE, which is used almost exclusively to get bus information. They are loyal users in that nearly all use the information they receive and they are more likely than drive alones to use the service again in the future.

Drive alones use the number less frequently and primarily for commuting information. They are using the number for more than just bus information, though they are less likely than bus riders to actually use the information they get.

Satisfaction with 1-800-COMMUTE Service

Callers give the 1-800-COMMUTE service a satisfactory overall and when asked to rate specific aspects of the service, nearly all are rated highly.

In terms of specific product performance . . .

Before pass through, callers give the clarity of sound of the recorded voice, the ease of understanding their options for information, the pleasantness of the recorded voice and the usefulness of the choices offered, all above average ratings.

After pass through, callers give the courtesy of the live operator, the clarity of sound of the recorded voice, the pleasantness of the recorded voice and the usefulness of the information, all above average ratings.

The vast majority of callers use the information they receive, and most say the information they got was accurate.

Nearly all (about 85%) intend to use 1-800-COMMUTE again in the future.

Clearly the overall rating is affected by the one product weakness that is evidenced in several areas of this study: consumers perception that it takes too long for their call to go through.

The one product attribute that is not rated highly is how quickly the call went through after pass through.

When asked why they gave the service an average or low overall rating, most L.A. callers and a large number of San Bernardino callers say that they're on hold too long.

A noticeable portion of callers claim that the phone rang too long the last time they called 1-800-COMMUTE.

All of these negative perceptions are stronger in Los Angeles, where there is a noticeably higher portion of callers using bus transportation information.

In addition, San Bernardino callers seem to find the service slightly less useful, giving lower ratings than L.A. callers on the usefulness of the options before pass through, the usefulness of the information received after pass through, and actually reporting lower usage of information itself (70% use it in San Bernardino vs. 87% in L.A.).

RESULTS HIGHLIGHTS (continued)

Satisfaction with 1-800-COMMUTE Service (continued)

There is some evidence that in Los Angeles, where bus information usage is high, ratings of the overall service and its individual components are slightly higher when the caller understands that 1-800-COMMUTE is a pass through system.

Future Service Options

While callers perceive the 1-800-COMMUTE number as very easy to use, they rate the idea of a three digit number (N11) even higher in terms of perceived ease of use.

When offered a variety of types of information 1-800-COMMUTE could offer in the future, the most interesting were:

Getting information on another mode of transportation without hanging up and dialing again, and

Getting information on the best way to get from one location to another, regardless of the mode used.

While only about one in five of the 1-800-COMMUTE callers have ever used the internet (slightly higher in San Bernardino), over 40% indicate interest in using it in the future to get transportation information.

Two thirds of those interested have never accessed the internet before.

DETAILED RESULTS

I. PROFILE OF THE 1-800-COMMUTE CALLER

Employment Status

The majority of callers to 1-800-COMMUTE are working or going to school.

San Bernardino callers are somewhat more likely than L.A. callers to be employed full time.

In addition to workers and students, there is a noticeable segment (24% - 32%) of non-workers and non-students who are also using 1-800-COMMUTE.

Occupation

Of those who are employed, the largest portion of callers to 1-800-COMMUTE are working in professional/technical jobs.

San Bernardino callers are more likely than L.A. callers to be employed in professional/ technical positions.

Number of Days Per Week Commuting

In both Los Angeles and San Bernardino, most workers and students are commuting at least five days a week.

Because a small percentage of working adults and students do not regularly commute to work or school, 62% of Los Angeles callers and 71% of San Bernardino callers can be called "commuters."

Time Spent Commuting

Commute times in L.A. and San Bernardino vary, with about half the callers in each area spending at least 35 to 45 minutes getting to or from work or school.

Commute times in San Bernardino are a bit longer than in L.A.

Compared to previous Commuter Monitor data collected in the Los Angeles area, 1-800-COMMUTE callers face a longer commute than the average commuter.

Mode Usually Used For Commuting

Commuters in Los Angeles and San Bernardino who call 1-800-COMMUTE have different profiles in terms of how they get to work or school. The Los Angeles callers are most likely to be taking the bus, whereas San Bernardino callers are most likely to drive alone.

Carpools and vanpools are also more popular in San Bernardino than in L.A.

* = less than 1%

Compared to the most recent L.A. Commuter Monitor results, 1-800-COMMUTE callers in Los Angeles skew heavily toward bus riders with far less representation of drive alone commuters than exist in the general population..

The high proportion of bus riders among Los Angeles 1-800-COMMUTE callers may also account for callers' longer commute times when compared to the average L.A. commuter.

* = less than 1%

Number of Days Per Week Commuting By Mode

Commuters who usually drive alone to work do so an average of four days a week.

Drive alones are very unlikely to be using buses, rail or any other alternative modes.

Commuters who take the bus report using bus or rail an average of four days a week, as well.

However, bus riders are a bit more likely than drive alones to be using other alternative modes of transportation, too, such as carpool, biking, walking, etc.

Non-Commuters Usage of Transportation By Mode

Those 1-800-COMMUTE callers who are not commuters are still using public transportation facilities, though not as heavily as commuters.

Non-commuters are most likely to use alternative modes of transportation.

As with commuters, L.A. non-commuters are more likely to use the bus or rail and San Bernardino non-commuters are more likely to drive alone.

Demographic Profile

Demographically, the majority of 1-800-COMMUTE callers are women, they are relatively young (median age 32 - 34), and most have at least some college education.

Los Angeles and San Bernardino callers differ in that San Bernardino callers have higher household incomes, are more likely to have children in the household and are more likely to be Caucasian.

Demographically, non-commuters differ from commuters in several ways.

While most of the commuters are women, there is a higher proportion of men than found among non-commuters. Commuters are also more likely than non-commuters to be younger, to have children, and to have higher incomes.

In addition, commuters in Los Angeles are more likely to be Hispanic and commuters in San Bernardino are more likely to be college graduates and African American.

Non-commuters are more likely than commuters to be women and to be older.

II. 1-800-COMMUTE USAGE

Frequency of Calling 1-800-COMMUTE

Respondents to the 1-800-COMMUTE survey were asked how many times they had ever called the number and how many times they had called in the past month.

In terms of "real world" data, we know from our monthly databases of actual calls that about half the monthly callers are one time callers, while the balance make multiple calls in a month's time.

Of the residential callers surveyed in the Satisfaction Study, a noticeable portion had trouble estimating the number of times they called in the past month.

However, based on reported usage by those who were able to estimate their past month calls, it appears that the Los Angeles callers surveyed tended to be the heavier users of 1-800-COMMUTE, whereas San Bernardino callers more closely reflect the actual call frequency.

It is not surprising that people who responded to our survey might be the more frequent callers, since these are the respondents who are more likely to remember calling.

In both real world and survey data, Los Angeles callers use 1-800-COMMUTE more frequently in a month than do San Bernardino callers.

The number of times ever called is also higher for Los Angeles callers than for San Bernardino callers.

Over one in five of the San Bernardino callers interviewed were first time users of 1-800-COMMUTE vs. only one in ten in Los Angeles.

Higher call frequency in Los Angeles may be driven by the larger portion of bus riders in the L.A. caller group.

Callers who usually commute via bus are much more frequent users of the number than are drive alones.

Heavy and light users of 1-800-COMMUTE do not have strongly or distinctively different demographic profiles.

Heavy callers (ever called 11 or more times) are more likely than light callers (ever called 1 - 3 times) to be part time workers and younger.

Light callers are more likely to be employed full time.

How Heard About 1-800-COMMUTE

Respondents were asked how they first learned about 1-800-COMMUTE. Results from this question should be viewed with caution, since it is often difficult for respondents to report with a high degree of accuracy where they remembered first hearing about something.

Word-of-mouth is the way mentioned most often by Los Angeles callers, with the bus company providing the second most often mentioned source.

Word-of-mouth may have been an important source of information for consumers at the time of the Northridge quake, when 1-800-COMMUTE was initially instituted.

San Bernardino callers were about equally likely to have heard about 1-800-COMMUTE via word-of-mouth, the bus company or outdoor signs.

* = less than 1%

Drive alone commuters are much less likely than other callers to have heard about the number through one or two main sources such as the bus company or (in Los Angeles) through word-of-mouth.

Instead, drive alones' sources are more fractionated and varied, with word-of-mouth, bus company, newspaper and phone book all playing fairly equal roles.

In San Bernardino, outdoor signs are also an equally strong source of information for drive alones.

Compared to bus riders, it may be more difficult to reach drive alones through one or two targeted means of information dissemination. Efforts may need to be more widespread and continuous.

Previous Sources of Transportation Information

Before using 1-800-COMMUTE, callers got their information from various sources. The primary source named is the specific transportation agency needed, but friends, family and the phone book were sources as well.

The specific transportation agency was a far greater source of information for commuters who usually ride the bus than for drive alones.

1-800-COMMUTE Services Used

Survey respondents were asked what types of transportation services they have ever requested information about from 1-800-COMMUTE. They also answered a series of very specific questions regarding their experience during their most recent call to 1-800-COMMUTE, including which type of transportation they requested information about.

As would be expected based on known usage of 1-800-COMMUTE, the majority of callers in both Los Angeles and San Bernardino request bus information.

Also consistent with known data, San Bernardino callers are more likely than L.A. callers to request Metrolink and carpool/vanpool information.

L.A. callers are more likely to request information on the Metro lines.

* = less than 1%

The primary usage of 1-800-COMMUTE for both commuters and non-commuters is bus information.

The type of transportation information used is very similar for Los Angeles commuters and non-commuters.

San Bernardino commuters are more likely than non-commuters to need Metrolink information, whereas the non-commuters are more interested in vanpools.

Though sample sizes are small, results indicate that information needs differ depending on how one usually commutes and where one lives.

While the greatest number of Los Angeles drive alone commuters are requesting bus information, are good portion of them are also calling for Metro rail information.

Los Angeles bus commuters are much less likely than drive alones to be asking for rail information and much more likely to be getting local bus information.

San Bernardino drive alone commuters are equally as likely to use 1-800-COMMUTE for local bus information as for Metrolink train information. There is also a noticeable portion using carpool information.

San Bernardino bus riders request local bus information and bus information outside the local area at about equal rates.

Reasons for Needing Transportation Information

The vast majority of 1-800-COMMUTE callers are using the information for themselves, and when they are calling for someone else, it is usually for personal, not business, purposes.

Commuters are more likely to be using 1-800-COMMUTE information for themselves, than are non-commuters.

While the majority of non-commuters are still using 1-800-COMMUTE for themselves, a good portion of them are calling for others.

In San Bernardino, the information gained from 1-800-COMMUTE is used primarily for commuting.

While the largest segment in L.A. is also using the information for commute purposes, sizable portions of L.A. callers are using it for personal business or pleasure trips, as well.

As would be expected, the primary usage of travel information for commuters is for getting to or from work or school.

However, even commuters are using the number for more than just commuting information, with about one in five L.A. commuters and one in seven San Bernardino commuters using 1-800-COMMUTE for personal business and pleasure outing trips.

Non-commuters are also calling 1-800-COMMUTE for commuting information (remember that a quarter to a third of non-commuting callers are calling on behalf of someone else).

However, non-commuters may be just as likely to use the number to get travel information for personal business or pleasure outings.

While some of the base sizes are small and therefore findings are directional, it is interesting to note that while both types of commuters primary use of 1-800-COMMUTE is for commuting information, bus riders are slightly less focused on commuting information and slightly more likely than drive alones to use the information for personal business (L.A. and San Bernardino) and pleasure outings (L.A. only).

This result may indicate that the number is functioning to provide drive alones with information on alternate means of commuting transportation, whereas bus riders are using it for a wider set of purposes.

Perception of How 1-800-COMMUTE Service Works

Because 1-800-COMMUTE consists of two distinct services, the before pass through system (currently operated by Caltrans) and the after pass through systems (provided by individual transportation agencies and other entities), it is important to understand consumers' perceptions of how the system works in order to gauge their ability to evaluate the two types of services separately.

Perceptions regarding how the 1-800-COMMUTE number works (central location vs. pass through system) are somewhat different in L.A. and San Bernardino.

The majority of callers in L.A. do not understand that the 1-800-COMMUTE number is a pass through system. They are more likely to agree with the statement "1-800-COMMUTE calls go to one central location where different operators have information about the different transportation types."

However, more callers in San Bernardino understand the pass through nature of the system, with fewer thinking the calls go to a central location.

It is clear however, that a large segment of callers in both areas misunderstand how the 1-800-COMMUTE number functions.

Language Requested for 1-800-COMMUTE Usage Directions (Most Recent Call)

Nearly all 1-800-COMMUTE callers surveyed asked for directions in English the last time they called; not surprising since this study was conducted in English.

However, respondents were also asked what languages were spoken in their homes. Even callers where Spanish is spoken in the home requested directions in English, and most of these callers said that this is their preferred language for listening to recorded messages over the telephone.

III. SATISFACTION WITH 1-800-COMMUTE SERVICE

Experience Upon First Dialing For Most Recent Call

Respondents were asked which of three statements most closely described their experience the last time they called 1-800-COMMUTE.

While the largest number of respondents say their call went through quickly, many callers felt the phone rang for too long and several claimed they got a busy signal.

Callers in San Bernardino were more likely than L.A. callers to say the call went through quickly.

Callers in L.A. were more likely than San Bernardino callers to say the phone rang for too long.

While great care was given to wording this question in order to elicit reaction to the respondent's experience before pass through, the magnitude of callers claiming they got a busy signal seems out of proportion. Port analyses conducted on 1-800-COMMUTE indicate that there are sufficient incoming lines, making it virtually impossible to get a busy signal when the system is operating correctly. Respondents may have been eager to report negative experiences, regardless of whether they occurred before or after pass through.

However, the response to this question certainly indicates the existence of a perception that the number is not always easy to get through on, though callers evaluations of 1-800-COMMUTE on subsequent measures are for the most part positive.

Responses to this question were also analyzed by the two types of transportation that were requested most often:

Menu Option Press #1 (all bus and Metro line information in L.A. and local bus information in San Bernardino), and

Menu Option Press #2 (Metrolink and connecting bus/rail)

In spite of small sample sizes in Los Angeles, statistically significant differences occur depending on whether callers pressed # 1 vs. #2 on their most recent 1-800-COMMUTE call.

Callers in both Los Angeles and San Bernardino who requested Metrolink information on their most recent call were much more likely to report that their call went through quickly compared to those who called for bus information.

Bus information callers were much more likely to report that the phone rang too long.

In Los Angeles, more bus information callers also reported busy signals.

The variance in answers between those requesting bus vs. Metrolink information is further evidence that callers are not always able to distinguish between before pass through vs. after pass through experiences.

Ratings of 1-800-COMMUTE Service

1-800-COMMUTE callers were asked to rate their overall satisfaction with 1-800-COMMUTE on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 means they are not at all satisfied and 10 means they are extremely satisfied. This overall rating serves as a measure of callers' general impression of the service and includes all their experiences, both before and after pass through.

Callers give 1-800-COMMUTE a satisfactory rating (mean score 6.7) in terms of their general satisfaction.

Overall ratings are not dramatically different depending on what option number is pressed on the menu; ratings are still about average for the two largest groups.

Respondents were asked on an open-ended basis to give their reasons for their overall satisfaction rating.

Those who rated the services highly (ratings 8, 9, or 10) did so primarily because they felt the information they got was accurate or what they needed.

To a lesser extent, they felt that the operators were friendly and that the service was generally helpful or good.

In addition, L.A. callers who are satisfied with the service still do complain about being on hold or waiting too long, but this does not prevent them from giving the service a generally high rating.

Less satisfied 1-800-COMMUTE callers (ratings 1 - 7) differ somewhat in their feelings depending on whether they are in L.A. or San Bernardino.

The majority of Los Angeles callers who are less satisfied feel this way because the calls take too long or they are on hold too long. Secondarily, they complain that the line is always busy or that the information was inaccurate or not what they needed.

On the other hand, San Bernardino callers have two complaints of equal importance: the calls take too long or the information was inaccurate.

1-800-COMMUTE callers also rated several aspects of their experience during their most recent call to 1-800-COMMUTE on scale of 1 to 10, where 1 means the item is poor and 10 means it is excellent. Separate questions were asked to clearly differentiate between experiences that occurred before the pass through to transportation agencies and after the pass through. Having callers rate each aspect of the service separately gives insight into their overall satisfaction with the service and serves to pinpoint service areas that might need improvement.

Nearly all of the individual components callers experience with the number are rated highly, both before they are passed through to a transportation agency and after.

The only item that is not rated well is respondents' perception of how quickly their call went through after they had requested one of the transportation modes.

Also, callers in San Bernardino have a lower perception than L.A. callers on both the usefulness of the menu options and the usefulness of the information itself.

For Los Angeles callers, the experience before pass through is generally more positive than after pass through, as evidenced by the higher average score for before pass through.

San Bernardino callers, however, do not have as disparate an experience between before and after pass through.

These scores may reflect the differing make-up in L.A. and San Bernardino usage of 1-800-COMMUTE, in that more L.A. callers are using the bus company information than San Bernardino callers.

General satisfaction and the ratings of the various elements of using 1-800-COMMUTE do not change substantially among the various sub-groups of commuters, non-commuters, drive alones, etc.

However, there is some evidence that in Los Angeles ratings are slightly higher among those who understand that the 1-800-COMMUTE service is a pass through system.

Perceptions of how the service works are not a factor in the ratings of San Bernardino callers.

Usefulness and Accuracy of Information

The vast majority of callers made use of the information they received from their last call to 1-800-COMMUTE.

Fewer San Bernardino callers actually used the information they got, compared to L.A. callers

Though the difference in L.A. is directional in nature, it appears that drive alone commuters are generally less likely than bus riders to use the information they got from 1-800-COMMUTE.

In addition, most information users found the information they got to be accurate.

In Los Angeles, where many of the callers are bus riders, the most often mentioned reason why the information was not accurate was that the bus was late or didn't show.

Secondary reasons were simply that the information was wrong or the caller didn't receive the shortest route.

In San Bernardino, callers complained that the information was inaccurate or not detailed enough, but they also felt that while not completely accurate, it was generally accurate and on time.

Ease of Using 1-800-COMMUTE Number

Respondents rated three different types of numbers to call for transportation information, based on how easy they perceive the numbers are to use.

While 1-800-COMMUTE is clearly rated highly on ease of use, a three digit number is rated even higher in perceived ease of use.

Future Usage Intent

Product satisfaction is often indicated by whether the user intends to use the product again.

For 1-800-COMMUTE, nearly all callers indicate they will definitely or probably use the number again.

Likelihood to use the number again in the future is generally higher among commuters who ride the bus than drive alones (though only directionally higher in L.A.), and among those who are already heavy users of the number.

IV. FUTURE SERVICE OPTIONS

Interest in Future 1-800-COMMUTE Services

The services of most interest to callers that are not currently offered are:

Being able to get information on another type of transportation without hanging up and dialing 1-800-COMMUTE again, and

Information on the best way to get from one location to another, including multi-modal options.

Relatively few respondents were interested in taxi information or information on how to get to and from sports stadiums.

Respondents in Los Angeles are more interested in shuttles and transportation to and from airports and tourist attractions than San Bernardino callers.

Interest in Transportation Information on the Internet

In addition, callers were asked about their usage of the internet and whether they would be interested in being able to access transportation information this way.

About one in five callers have ever used the internet.

While not a statistically significant difference, directionally more callers in San Bernardino have used the internet than in L.A.

While the percentage of 1-800-COMMUTE callers ever using the internet seems high, a recent study indicates that 17% of U.S. and Canadian adults age 16 or older have access to the internet.^*

In light of this data, the incidence of usage found in this study is slightly higher than would be expected.

While sample sizes are not large for internet users, there are statistically significant differences in the demographic profile of those who have used the internet vs. those who have not.

Compared to non-users, internet users are more likely to be men, college graduates, employed full time, drive alone commuters, Caucasian, and upper income.

In addition, L.A. internet users are less likely than non-users to have kids and to speak Spanish.

Of all 1-800-COMMUTE callers, over 40% say they would definitely or probably use the internet to access transportation and commuting alternatives in the future.

Considering that only one in five have ever used the internet, this is a surprisingly high level of interest.

Not surprisingly, those who have used the internet are much more likely to say they would definitely use the internet for transportation information, with about three quarters indicating positive intent.

Still, about one third of those who have never used the internet before say they would use the internet to access transportation information in the future.

Callers who have never used the internet before account for a surprising two thirds of all the callers who indicated positive intent to use the internet for transportation information.