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March 9, 2010

TxDOT to survey Beaumont-Port Arthur area businesses

The Port Arthur News

Visitors to some area businesses may soon be asked to participate in a brief travel survey. Over the next few months, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) sponsored surveyors will be stationed at some area businesses to ask visitors a few questions about their travel to the location. TxDOT encourages participation in the survey, but, emphasizes participation is totally voluntary.

TxDOT, in cooperation with the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission (SETRPC), is looking to obtain information about the amount of traffic going to and from different types of businesses. The purpose of this Workplace travel survey is to help local and state officials in deciding:

• where new roads and transit service should be planned;

• what existing roads and transit routes should be improved; and,

• which roadway projects being considered over the next few years will be of greatest benefit to the residents of the study Area.

TxDOT and SETRPC plan for transportation improvement projects every year for the Jefferson Orange Hardin Regional Transportation Study (JOHRTS).  TxDOT and SETRPC develop a computer model of major roadways to help in planning and prioritizing area transportation projects. The model will evaluate future traffic conditions based on factors such as traffic generated by residents and businesses within in the study area and traffic coming from outside of the area. The survey will collect information on the amount of traffic going to and from local businesses that is needed as input into the model.

The Workplace Survey is being conducted along with a Commercial Vehicle Survey to study traffic amounts and patterns. Area businesses will be randomly contacted by phone and be invited to take part in the survey.  The Weighted Systematic Sampling Procedure will be used to select a business. All area businesses have an equal chance in being selected.  TxDOT would like to encourage all employers who are called to participate, but again emphasizes that participation is totally voluntary.

The travel surveys are part of an ongoing effort by TxDOT to collect and analyze travel data from communities across the State. Similar studies have been conducted in Austin, Lubbock, Tyler, El Paso, San Antonio, the Rio Grande Valley and numerous other cities around the State. 

For more information on the survey, contact Charlie Hall, TxDOT Travel Survey Program Manager at (512) 486-5120.

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