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:

Social Research in Support of Impact Mitigation on Restoration of the
Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park (Phase 4)

October 21,
2008

The proposed study will query individuals stopping at one of two high-use areas along the
Going to the Sun Road (GTTSR) to assess the primary reasons for stopping there; the
influence of the shuttle on visitors’ activity choices; and to assess the use of and perceived
utility of shuttle-related information sources. The primary objectives of these surveys will
be to assess the possible role of the shuttle system in increasing backcountry hiking use
and to develop recommendations for improving shuttle-related communications.
The number, group type, length of stay and activity participation of groups stopping during
the sampling times will be observed. These factors were already observed at several
locations during the summers of 2005-2008.
(not to exceed 150 words)

3.

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

Phone:

4.

Last
Name:

Freimund

Professor
Department of Society and Conservation, College of Forestry and Conservation
The University of Montana
Missoula
406 243-5184

State
:
Fax:

Zip
code:

MT

59812

406 243-6656

Email: [email protected]
Park or Program Liaison Contact Information
First Name: Jack
Last

Potter

Name:
Title:
Park:

Assistant Chief, Resource Management
Glacier National Park

Park
Office/Division:

Headquarters

Street Address:

P.O. Box 128

City:

West Glacier

State
:

Phone:

406-888-7821

Fax:

Email:

[email protected]

MT
406-888-7808

Zip
code:

59936

Project

Information

5.

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

6.

Survey Dates:

7.

8.

Glacier National Park

07/01/2009

(mm/
dd/y
yyy)

to

08/31/2009

(mm/dd/yyyy)

Type of Information Collection Instrument (Check ALL that Apply)
‰

Mail-Back
Questionnaire

‰

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

X On-Site
Questionnaire

‰
Faceto-Face
Interview

‰

Telephone
Survey

‰

Focus
Groups

Social science research in support of park planning and management is mandated in
the NPS Management Policies 2006 (Section 8.11.1, “Social Science Studies”). The
NPS pursues a policy that facilitates social science studies in support of the NPS
mission to protect resources and enhance the enjoyment of present and future
generations (National Park Service Act of 1916, 38 Stat 535, 16 USC 1, et seq.).
NPS policy mandates that social science research will be used to provide an
understanding of park visitors, the non-visiting public, gateway communities and
regions, and human interactions with park resources. Such studies are needed to
provide a scientific basis for park planning, development, operations, management,
education, and interpretive activities.
The reconstruction of the Going to the Sun Road (GTTSR) in Glacier National Park
(GNP) poses important questions about impacts on visitor behavior, use levels and
patterns of use within the Park, both during and following the construction activity.
As now scheduled, the construction will take place over a seven-to-eight year
period, and while the road will not be completely closed during this time, visitors
may experience significant time delays and changes in access to popular trailheads
and scenic overlooks. The Record of Decision for the Reconstruction Environmental
Impact Statement indicates that maintaining visitor access is a key issue.
A goal of the reconstruction process is to minimize disruptions to visitors in the
short run, while reducing impacts on park values in the long run. These goals will be
achieved through changes in road design, improved parking, restoration practices,
development of a shuttle bus system and other actions. The effectiveness of these
actions in achieving these goals is an open question, however. Visitors to GNP make
heavy use of the GTTSR, with about 80% of the visitors traveling some part of the
road. And while the road tends to be a destination experience itself, it also provides
access to several trails and overlooks, particularly for subalpine areas, such as Logan
Pass and the Highline Trail. The effects of the proposed construction activity on
visitor behavior and levels and patterns of use are unknown, both during and
following the activity. The initial goal of this project was to develop an information
base to identify the consequences of the reconstruction process so that appropriate
mitigation actions can be implemented.
Literature Review
This project has been divided into four phases. In Phases One and Two, completed
in the summers of 2005 and 2006, visitors were observed and interviewed at 17
pullouts on the Going to the Sun Road. Based on 7000+ observations and 1280+
surveys, this research provided a detailed baseline understanding of visitor use of
the GTTSR and pullouts before the beginning of road construction and the

implementation of the shuttle system (Freimund et al., 2006a; Freimund et al.,
2006b). Phase Three was completed in the summer of 2007, the first summer of
shuttle operation. Based on 376 completed surveys, this research provided an
assessment of the decision processes, motivations, activity choices, and experience
of the shuttle riders vs. non shuttle riders. It also provided an assessment of the
quality of the shuttle experience and recommendations for improvement (Baker and
Freimund, 2007).
Phase Three uncovered some interesting trends in the motivations and activity
choices of shuttle riders that deserve further investigation. Phase Four will follow
up on this information by investigating the role of the shuttle in increased
backcountry and point-to-point hiking activity and visitor use and obtaining a
greater understanding of how visitors use park-provided shuttle information sources.
The specific goals of this proposed research are to:
•

•

•

Identify differences in roadside use as a result of the transit system
including:
• If shuttle riding impacts decisions on where to stop
• If shuttle riding impacts what visitors choose to do at particular
stops
Understand the relationship between shuttle use and choice to take
extended day hikes including:
• If hikers are using the shuttle to facilitate a longer / point-to-point
hike
• If hikers who take the shuttle are leaving a car parked for an
extended period in high-use parking lots
• If more visitors who would not otherwise have done a long hike
are engaging in longer day hikes due to the shuttle
Help managers refine a more effective communication with visitors about
the shuttle at GNP including:
• What information sources shuttle riders and non-riders used and
which they found useful
• What information sources visitors would prefer and when they
would prefer to receive information about the shuttle

References
Baker, Melissa and Freimund, Wayne. 2007. Initial Season of the Going-to-the-Sun
Road Shuttle System at Glacier National Park: Visitor Use Study. Missoula, MT:
University of Montana Department of Society and Conservation.
Freimund, Wayne; Mccool, Stephen F; and Adams, John C. 2006a. Recreational
Use of Selected Viewpoints on Going-to-the-Sun Road, 2005. Missoula, MT:
University of Montana Department of Society and Conservation.
Freimund, Wayne; Baker, Melissa L.; McCool, Stephen F. 2006b. Recreational Use
of Selected Viewpointson the Going-to-the-Sun Road, 2006. Missoula, MT:
University of Montana Department of Society and Conservation.
Walsh, Susan and John Comer, 2006. Quantitative Methods for Public
Administration: Techniques and Applications. Waveland Pr Inc; 3 edition.
9.

Survey Methodology:
(Use as much space
as needed; if
necessary include

(a) Respondent universe:
All adults, between 18 and 100 years of age, stopping at two high-use areas (Logan
Pass and The Loop) during the daylight hours from 07/01/09 to 09/08/09 along the
Going to the Sun Road

additional
explanation on a
separate page.)

(b) Sampling plan/procedures:
Surveys will be implemented in two areas: Logan Pass and The Loop. Logan Pass
will provide access to a broad cross-section of park visitors, including shuttle users,
non-shuttle users and backcountry hikers. Logan Pass will be sampled during the
primary daylight hours of operation—basically from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. in six-hour
sampling periods: a morning sampling period from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and an afternoon
sampling period from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m..
The Loop will provide both a cross-section of park users and a concentrated
opportunity to survey backcountry hikers who may be using the shuttle to facilitate a
point-to-point hike. The Loop will be sampled from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. to maximize
the likelihood of surveying long distance/backcountry hikers as they come off the
Highline Trail. We will also observe group type, group origin, activity type, and
parking lot usage at the Loop, because this area was not observed in the summer of
2008. The crew is limited to one six-hour sampling period per day (because of travel
times and data-entry needs).
During the period July 1, 2009 to September 8, 2009, there are a total of 10 weeks or
50 days of potential sampling. The crew is limited to a five-day workweek and some
time must be allocated to training and data management. Thus, they can sample a
total of 42 sampling periods (resulting in 21 sampling periods per location) during
the study.
Employees’ days off must be accounted for. During the first half of the study,
Monday and Tuesday will be the days off. Then, during the second half of the study
days off will be changed to Friday and Saturday.
The sampling procedure will use a systematic random sampling process in which the
initial study areas and period will be randomly selected. Following the initial day of
sampling, sampling periods (AM/PM) and study areas will be rotated systematically
to ensure that over the study period each study area is sampled equally.
Surveyors will follow OMB-recommended protocol for visitor contact. Contact will
occur based upon a pre-designed systematic schedule starting with the first available
group during the sample time. The eligible adult member of each group with the
next closest birthday to the sampling day will be asked to participate. Hikers will be
approached as they exit the trailheads at The Loop and as they enter or exit
trailheads at Logan Pass. Shuttle riders will be approached at the shuttle stops at
Logan Pass and the Loop. Non-shuttle riders will be approached in the parking lots
of Logan Pass and the Loop.
(c) Instrument administration:
There are four components to the study: three survey components and an
observational component at the Loop. The survey instruments will consist of selfadministered paper surveys (approximately 10 minutes in length) and will be
distributed based upon a pre-designed systematic schedule starting with the first
available group during the sampling period.
(d) Expected response rate/confidence levels:
For each questionnaire, we will contact 440 individuals stratified by weekend and
weekday periods and expect 400, or 90 percent, to agree to respond. We believe this
response rate is realistic based on the response rate for surveys undertaken in earlier
stages of this project in 2005 and 2007 and based on generally high response rates
for surveys undertaken in National Parks and other protected areas. With these
anticipated sample sizes, we will be 90 percent confident that the true proportion in

the population is +/- 5 percentage points of the sample statistic. A confidence
interval of five percentage points is a standard level of precision for social science
surveys of this type (Walsh and Comer, 2006).
The goal of these surveys is to provide an inventory and descriptive analysis of
visitor’s perceptions regarding various aspects of the park setting. Analyses will also
include comparisons across broad groupings of user types (e.g., shuttle riders, Nonshuttle riders) to assess perceptions about the role of the shuttle in the park.
An 80 percent power level for a two tailed t-test at the .05 alpha level, assuming a
difference in the true mean of .5, would require an “n” of 64 in each cell. Thus, the
proposed sample size will certainly be adequate for bivariate comparisons and will
also allow for more sophisticated multivariate analysis if deemed necessary.
(e) Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias:
We will maintain a log of observable demographics, including group size and type,
gender, age, and likely activity type of the visitors who refuse to take the survey and
compare this to the demographic data obtained for survey respondents. This
comparison will be used to assess if non-respondents are significantly different from
respondents. We will also compare respondent demographic and group data to
observational data (e.g., group type and size, arrival and departure time, activities
such as viewing scenery, snowplay, hiking, facility use), for all groups.
(f) Description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or
instrument (recommended):
Many of the questions were used in previous phases of data collection at Glacier
National Park. Measures new to this questionnaire have considerable history in
survey research.
10.

Total Number of
Initial Contacts |
Expected
Respondents:

13.

Reporting Plan:

1320

1200

11
.

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

1 10

12
.

Total
Burden
Hours:

222

The survey data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests
for differences between user groups on key dependent variables such as differences
in usage of roadside stops and hiking behavior between shuttle riders and nonshuttle riders. A technical completion report will be submitted to Glacier National
Park. We will also hold a workshop in the fall, which is a component of the overall
study. Finally, we will submit a copy of the technical completion report to the NPS
Social Science Program for inclusion in the Social Science Studies Collection.