Expedited Form (Roosevelt-Vanderbilt)

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Social Science Program

Expedited Approval for NPS-Sponsored Public Surveys
1.

Project Title ⎢
Submission
Date:

2.

Abstract:

Transportation Study: Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites

July 9, 2008

The purpose of this research is to help the project team design and implement a sustainable
alternative transit system (ATS) at Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites (ROVA) in
Hyde Park, NY. The park sites are located two-to-six miles from one another and five miles
from existing rail service. ROVA is instituting a pilot shuttle system, the “Roosevelt Ride,” to
connect the park sites with the Poughkeepsie train station. This survey will help park
managers better understand ridership patterns, visitor origin and planned destinations, and
evaluate the pilot service so that modifications can be made to better serve visitors in
subsequent years of the pilot program and in the long-term ATS.
(not to exceed 150 words)

3.

Principal Investigator Contact Information
First Name:
Title:
Affiliation:
Street Address:
City:
Phone:
Email:

4.

Last Name:

Tom

Crikelair

Principal
Tom Crikelair Associates
1 Davis Place
Bar Harbor
207-288-0381

State:
Fax:

ME

Zip code:

04609

207-664-0690

[email protected]

Park or Program Liaison Contact Information
First Name:
Title:

Last Name:

Marjorie

Smith

Landscape Architect

Park:
Park
Office/Division:

Northeast Region, Boston Office

Street Address:

15 State Street

City:
Phone:
Email:

Boston
617.223.5133

State:
Fax:

MA

Zip code:

02109

617.223.5164

[email protected]

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Project Information
5.

Park(s) For Which Research
is to be Conducted:

6.

Survey Dates:

7.

Type of Information Collection Instrument (Check ALL that Apply)

8.

‰

Mail-Back
Questionnaire

‰

Other (explain)
Survey Justification:
(Use as much space as
needed; if necessary
include additional
explanation on a
separate page.)

Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site; Eleanor Roosevelt
National Historic Site; Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
8/1/09

(mm/dd/yyyy)

X On-Site
Questionnaire

‰

To

Face-toFace
Interview

8/31/09

‰

(mm/dd/yyyy)

Telephone
Survey

‰

Focus
Groups

The National Park Service Act of 1916, 38 Stat 535, 16 USC 1, et seq., requires
that the National Park Service (NPS) preserve the national parks for the use and
enjoyment of present and future generations. The 2006 NPS Management Policies
(Section 8.11, “Social Science Studies”) state that the NPS will facilitate social
science studies that support the NPS mission by providing an understanding of
park visitors and a scientific basis for park planning, development, operations, and
management.
This study gathers information from Roosevelt Ride passengers regarding their
travel patterns, planned destinations, and attitudes about the shuttle system. This
information will inform the project team as it plans for improvements for the pilot
and long-term ATS. The survey will be conducted in August, which is typically a
peak month for visitation.
This study is needed because there is no information available about users of the
Roosevelt Ride service. Onboard passenger surveys are standard practice in the
transit industry. The survey instrument incorporates questions used in similar
alternative transportation surveys. In particular, it follows an approach that has
been used for the past 10 years by Downeast Transportation and Acadia National
Park for a shuttle service known as the Island Explorer. (Island Explorer short
Range Transit Plan, May 21, 2007, prepared for NPS and MDOT by Tom
Crikelair Associates, Chapter 3: Onboard Surveys of Island Explorer Passengers,
pp. 3-1 to 3-15.)

9.

Survey Methodology: (Use
as much space as needed;
if necessary include
additional explanation on a
separate page.)

(a) Respondent universe:
Roosevelt Ride passengers aged 18 and older will be surveyed on days in August
2009 when the Roosevelt Ride is operational. August was chosen as the survey
period because of reliably high park visitation. Because the target population is
Roosevelt Ride passengers, results are not intended to be generalizable to other
park visitors.
(b) Sampling plan/procedures:
A survey will be distributed on board the Roosevelt Ride on a) the return trip to
the Poughkeepsie train station at the end of the day and b) the return trip to the
Wallace Center at the end of the Top Cottage tour. Each group will be asked to
complete one questionnaire. If a member of the group agrees, the on-board NPS
interpreter (in uniform) will hand the visitor a survey. The eligible member with
next birthday will be asked to complete the survey. All groups will be asked to
participate, because the Roosevelt Ride is a small project that serves a limited
number of visitors each day. The respondents will return the completed surveys to
the on-board interpreter when they leave the bus. Passengers will be asked to
complete only one survey for their group during their visit.
(c) Instrument administration:
A uniformed on-board NPS interpreter will approach all passengers over the age 2

of 18 when they board the Roosevelt Ride for their return trip and ask if they wish
to fill out a survey for their group. The on-board interpreter will make the
following announcement: "Hello Roosevelt Rider Passengers! The National Park
Service is conducting a survey to engage your thoughts about the Roosevelt Ride
service. Responding to the survey is very easy and will take about 5 minutes. If
you have already filled out this survey, please do not take it a second time. When
you are done, please hand me the completed survey when you leave the bus."
Then, the on-board NPS interpreter will distribute the surveys (printed on card
stock).
(d) Expected response rate/confidence levels:

This survey is based on a similar research project for a shuttle system serving
Acadia National Park. In 2007, 323 surveys were distributed to Island Explorer
passengers; 315 surveys were returned, for a response rate of 98%. On-board
transit surveys generally receive high response rates, because respondents can
complete the survey while they are on board (taking no time away from their tour
of the parks) and because they can return the survey to an interpreter upon exiting
the bus. The expected response rate is 90%. The margin of error is +/- 6
percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
(e) Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias:
Non-response will be tested by comparing characteristics of the sample
population with selected observable characteristics of non-respondents. The date,
time, and group composition of passengers refusing the survey will be recorded
and reported on a survey log. The results of the check for non-response bias will
be reported, and the implications of non-response bias (if any) for park planning
will be discussed.
(f) Description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or
instrument (recommended):

Tom Crikelair Associates has developed the survey instrument and approach.
Many of these questions have been used in previous visitor surveys to get general
information about NPS visitors. In addition, questions specific to transportation
are similar to those used in other transportation planning instruments (e.g. for the
Island Explorer at Acadia National Park and for the Point Reyes Access Study)

10.

Total Number of
Initial Contacts |
Expected Respondents:

13.

Reporting Plan:

300

270

11

Estimated Time to
Complete Initial
Contact |
Instrument
(mins.):

1

5

12
.

Total
Burden
Hours:

28

The data from the completed surveys will be compiled in Microsoft Excel and
analyzed using a statistical software program known as FloStat. Frequency
distributions will be analyzed for groups that traveled to Hyde Park by train, and
for groups that arrived by other travel modes. A report summarizing the findings
will be provided to the project team. The report will describe travel patterns of
Roosevelt Ride passengers, as well as their views about potential shuttle
expansion. The project team will use the findings when planning for
modifications and/or expansion of the pilot service, and ultimately, the long-term
ATS. The project team will transmit a copy of the final report to the NPS Social
Science Program.

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