Expedited Form

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:

Tusayan Pilot Shuttle Transportation System Survey, Grand Canyon
National Park

7/28/2008

The purpose of this research is to assist Grand Canyon National Park in a test of a pilot
shuttle route from Tusayan, AZ to Canyon View Information Plaza. The park will operate the
shuttle from June 1 to September 1, 2008. The study will investigate the profile and visitor
experience of shuttle passengers in order to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the pilot
shuttle. Information gained during the survey will enable the park to plan for effective
implementation of the shuttle as needs warrant.
(not to exceed 150 words)

3.

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

4.

Last Name:

Bonnie

Nelson

Principal
Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates
785 Market Street
San Francisco

State:

Phone:

(415) 284-1544

Fax:

Email:

[email protected]

CA

Zip code:

94103

(415) 284-1554

Park or Program Liaison Contact Information
First Name:

Last Name:

Victoria

Title:

Project Manager

Park:

Grand Canyon National Park

Park
Office/Division:

Project Management Team

Street Address:

823 N. San Francisco, Ste A
Flagstaff, AZ 86001-3265

City:

Flagstaff

Phone:

(928) 774-3026

Email:

[email protected]

State:
Fax:

AZ

Stinson

Zip code:

(928) 774-1757

86001

Project Information
5.

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

Grand Canyon National Park

6.

Survey Dates:

8/11/2008

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.)

(mm/dd/yyyy)

XX On-Site
Questionnaire

‰

to

Face-to-Face
Interview

8/16//2008

‰

Telephone
Survey

(mm/dd/yyyy)

‰

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 Tusayan Pilot Shuttle users on their travel
behavior, experience riding the shuttle, and attitudes about using transportation
alternatives. Understanding the profile and rider experience of Pilot Shuttle
riders will serve to inform decisions about future shuttle service.
While there have been a number of visitor studies at Grand Canyon (Grand
Canyon VSP 2003), this is the first study dealing with the pilot shuttle program.
This pilot shuttle study is similar to other shuttle studies that have provided
valuable information to park managers. Nelson\Nygaard has led similar studies
for transportation planning in national parks, including a group of studies of the
Muir Woods Shuttle (2005, 2006, 2007); and an on-board survey of the Pt Reyes
Headlands Shuttle (2007). This study follows the established protocols and
format from those previous studies.

9.

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

(a) Respondent universe:
The respondent universe is all adults, 18 and older, who ride the shuttle in
between August 11 and 16.
(b) Sampling plan/procedures:
The survey will be conducted between August 11 and August 16, 2008.
Surveyors will be Park Aids—temporary staff under the supervision of Park
Interpreter David Smith.
The shuttle service consists of three buses operating between 8 AM and 9 PM, 7
days per week. One surveyor will ride each of the service’s three buses during
the morning (8 a.m. and 2 p.m. trips) on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Similarly, one surveyor will ride each bus during the afternoon/evening (2 p.m.
and 9 p.m. trips) on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. The survey will therefore
sample the equivalent of two full weekdays and one full weekend day.
Surveying during this period will give the park useful information of shuttle
riders’ opinions and behaviors during the busy summer season when the system
is most used.
While on board the bus, surveyors will approach each party boarding the bus on
the return from the park to Tusayan. The surveyor will ask one adult (18 years of
age or older) per party to fill out a survey. If there is more than one adult per
party, the surveyor will ask the adult with the most recent birthday to respond.
Parties will not be asked to respond if they have already filled out a survey. The

survey will be administered in English only.
During analysis, we will weight the data to ensure that weekend and weekday
ridership is considered in proportion to their actual shares of shuttle ridership.
Surveyors will be given detailed training and supervision on survey goals and
objectives, handling of questions, and qualifiers for participation to ensure high
quality results.
(c) Instrument administration:
Surveyors will approach each party boarding the bus on the return from the
Grand Canyon to Tusayan. Trained surveyors will use the following script when
approaching passengers:
"Hello! The National Park Service is conducting a survey at Grand Canyon
National Park to gather your opinions about the park’s newest shuttle service.
Participation is voluntary, and the survey takes approximately 10 minutes to
complete. [If more than one adult: Who in the group has the next birthday?]
Would you be willing to participate? You may turn in the survey when you leave
the bus."
Eligible respondents who agree to participate will be given the questionnaire
printed on card stock. Questionnaires will be returned to the surveyor upon
arrival at the shuttle's destination in Tusayan.
(d) Expected response rate/confidence levels:

Previous on-board transit surveys in national parks have received very high
response rates. For example, in a recent on-board survey conducted by
Nelson\Nygaard on the Muir Woods Shuttle, which provides service to Muir
Woods National Monument, over 90% of parties responded. The fact that
respondents may complete the survey while they are on board the bus (taking no
additional time away from recreation at the park) will promote a high response
rate.
Based on recorded ridership data, we estimate that approximately 215 parties per
day will make return trips on the shuttle and that—conservatively—about 70%
of these parties will complete the survey. Approximately 150 completed surveys
per full day of surveying would yield at total of 450 completed surveys during
the sampling period.
The target sample of 450 completed surveys will provide a sampling error of
plus or minus 5 percent with a 95% confidence level.
(e) Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias:
Non-response bias will be tested by comparing characteristics of the sample
population with selected observable characteristics of non-respondents. The
contact time, group size, number of children, whether the group had previously
been surveyed and the reason for refusal (if given) 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):

Nelson/Nygaard has worked with the project team, including park staff and other
National Park Service staff, to refine the survey instrument and approach. Many
of the 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, including
Nelson\Nygaard studies in Muir Woods National Monument and Point Reyes
National Seashore. Patricia Sacks of the National Park Service and Victoria
Stinson and Robin Martin of Grand Canyon National Park have reviewed the
survey.
10.

Total Number of
Initial Contacts |
Expected Respondents:

13.

Reporting Plan:

645

451

11.

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

1

10

12.

Total
Burden
Hours:

86

Once the surveys have been completed, the data will be compiled, analyzed, and
summarized in the form of a report to the project team and project managers,
including Victoria Stinson of Grand Canyon National Park. Analysis will include
summary tables of key variables including trip characteristics, satisfaction with
shuttle services, and openness to future travel-options in the park. Key variables
with be cross-tabulated with visitor characteristics and compared to the overall
population of park visitors. The findings will be compared to previous studies of
transit in national parks, and used to inform and guide the project team as they
adjust and improve the pilot service during the summer of 2008, as well as to
plan for effective implementation of a permanent shuttle as needs warrant. A
copy of the report will be archived with the NPS Social Science Studies
Program.

References
Littlejohn, Margaret. 2003. “Grand Canyon National Park South Rim Visitor Survey” University of Idaho, Visitor Services
Report #144, located at < http://psu.uidaho.edu/files/vsp/reports/144_GRCA_S_rept.pdf>.
Littlejohn, Margaret. 2003. “Grand Canyon National Park North Rim Visitor Survey” University of Idaho, Visitor Services
Report #143, located at < http://psu.uidaho.edu/files/vsp/reports/143_GRCA_N_rept.pdf>.
Muir Woods Shuttle Evaluation, Nelson Nygaard Consulting Associates for the Marin County Department of Public Works,
December 2005.
Muir Woods Shuttle Evaluation, Nelson Nygaard Consulting Associates for the Marin County Department of Public Works,
November 2006.
Muir Woods Shuttle Evaluation, Nelson Nygaard Consulting Associates for the Marin County Department of Public Works,
November 2007.
Point Reyes Headlands Shuttle 2008 Passenger Survey Findings (Draft), Nelson Nygaard Consulting Associates for the
National Park Service, April 2008.