3. Selected Results from the Survey

For the purpose of this project we present selected results obtained from an analysis of the questionnaire administered to riders at the three different sites.  These results refer to information about   Travel PurposeWillingness to Use SMART, and demographic information like Age, Gender, and Education.

In general, the majority of SMART’s riders use the service for work or school purposes. This is particularly true for riders in the Groesback area in which over 90% of respondents reported that they use the service for this reason.   In contrast, just over half of the Northland respondents use transit for school and work, with the other half for shopping, medical, or social reasons. At Fairlane two-thirds of the riders use the service for school and work. Regarding the willingness to use a linehaul bus, most SMART’s riders are willing to do so. Comparing the three areas we find that about 90% of Fairlane and Groesback riders are willing to use the bus but in Northland only 45% are willing to do so.

In regard to travelers’ age, we find considerable variance between the three sites.  As Groesback primarily transports people to jobs in light industry and services, the majority of travelers are only modestly educated and between the ages of 25 and 44.  In the other two locations, however, we see a more even distribution .  For example, at Fairlane all age groups are well represented with the greatest number coming from the 25-44 bracket. The population of travelers at Northland is notably older than the other two sites, with over twenty percent 65 years or older.  In regard to education, at no site were the majority of travelers highly educated, but in Groesbeck a meager 4% reported having a college degree.  At Fairlane and Northland the percent of college graduates was around the 15% mark. Finally, the majority of the riders both in Fairlane and Northland is female while in Groesback the majority is male (the reason for that might be the type of jobs in the area).