TravInfo Evaluation: Traveler Response Element; TravInfo 817-1717 Caller Study; Phase 2 Results

Problem

TravInfo is a Field Operational Test (FOT) sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the US Department of Transportation and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Its objective is to provide benefits to San Francisco Bay Area travelers and to stimulate the deployment of privately offered traveler information products and services. In operation since September 1996, TravInfo disseminates free, current traffic information and multi-modal travel options to Bay Area travelers through a landline telephone system called TravInfo Traveler Advisory Telephone System (TATS) and through the Internet via Information Service Providers. As part of the TravInfo FOT evaluation project, two surveys of the TravInfo TATS callers were conducted, the first survey in April 1997 and the second survey in April 1999. This paper reports the findings of the second survey.

The purpose of the first TravInfo TATS caller survey was to establish a baseline profile of the callers with respect to their call and travel behavior. The purpose of the second survey was to assess the changes in callers' behavior and to measure the effectiveness of TATS in helping callers make informed travel decisions. The first survey was conducted seven months after TravInfo began in operation and the second survey was conducted seven months after the field test was concluded. The effectiveness of the TravInfo telephone system was measured by the satisfaction of callers with the TravInfo TATS service, the impact on their travel behavior, and the benefits perceived by them.

Findings

The results of the second survey are quite similar to those of the first survey. This may be due to the fact that during the two years between surveys, not much behavioral change could take place. However, one noticeable change was found: in the second survey; greater number of calls were made from a vehicle via cellular phones en route (46.8% in the second survey versus 31.5% in the first survey) among callers seeking traffic information. The other noticeable change was mode shift: it appeared that more people switched their mode from personal vehicle to public transit in the second survey. However, the sample size is too small to make any definitive conclusion.

Other important findings include:

• In the first and second surveys, an overwhelming majority of the callers in the first and second surveys were satisfied with the information they obtained from TravInfo 817-1717.
• In both surveys, callers found that TravInfo TATS traffic information was more useful, reliable and accurate than radio or television reports.
• Both surveys showed that about half of the TATS traffic information callers changed their travel behavior as a result of TravInfo TATS information regarding a traffic problem. However, the effects of the TravInfo TATS service on mode shifts was minor even though three times as many people switched to public transit from personal vehicle when they learned of traffic congestion.
• The second survey also indicated that TravInfo TATS has been effective in providing quality information and in attaining a high level of customer satisfaction although its customer base has not increased significantly.
• As with the first survey, the second survey showed that TATS has attracted a segment of the driving population that rarely relies on traffic reports in making travel decisions and seldom or never listen to radio traffic reports.
• Most participants in the transit survey group said they would use TATS in the future because of its easy access to information via a single telephone number while the traffic survey group said they would use it again and recommend it to others because of its most current traffic information pertaining to their own trip.
• Transit information callers are interested in the availability of the service and service schedules while traffic information callers are interested in getting traffic conditions to avoid congestion. Therefore, very few calls were rerouted from traffic calls to transit calls or visa versa. However, it was apparent that the transit survey group favored TravInfo TATS having a single phone number for getting all travel related information.