2009 COMMUNITY SURVEY

Presentation of Final ResultsJanuary 21, 2010

PROJECT SUMMARY

The WTA Strategic Plan recommended implementation of several major service and facilities projects, including a network of high frequency corridors and building a new northern transit hub.

WTA began implementing these recommendations in 2005 and all major recommended projects have been completed.

The primary purpose of this survey is to measure the satisfaction of the general public and riders with services since the implementation of major these service modifications.

1

METHODOLOGY- ResidentTelephone Survey

Telephone surveys conducted with Whatcom County residents between 11/4 and 11/18/2009.

Overall sample of 824 provides accuracy of + 3.4% at a 95% confidence level.

411 surveys were conducted with Bellingham residents.

413 surveys were conducted with County residents outside of the City limits.

The subsets provide accuracy at + 4.8% at a 95% confidence level.

2

SURVEYS BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA

CITY %

Bellingham 50%

Blaine 5%Everson, Nooksack &

Sumas6%

Ferndale 10%

Lynden 8%

Unincorporated 22%

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AWARENESS

Just under half of residents have read or seen something in the

media about WTA in the past few months.

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HAVE YOU HEARD OR SEEN INFORMATION ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ...?

No 57%Yes 43%

WHAT DO YOU RECALL SEEING OR HEARING?

11%

35%

22%

31%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Revenues down Service may becut

Other Don't recall

FAMILIARITY WITH BUS SERVICE Sixty-one percent of residents say they are at least somewhat

familiar with WTA bus service.

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HOW FAMILIAR ARE YOU WITH BUS SERVICE IN YOUR AREA?

22%

39%

19% 20%

0%

20%

40%

Very Familiar Somewhat Familiar Not Very Familiar Not At All Familiar

RESIDENTS WHO RODE THE BUS IN THE PAST YEAR AND FREQUENCY OF USE Over one-third of residents say they rode the bus in the last year and

35 percent of those say they rode the bus at least twice a week.

6

RODE THE BUS IN LAST YEAR

Yes37%

No63%

HOW OFTEN DO YOU RIDE THE BUS?

19%16%

21%

14%

31%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

5+ times perweek

2-4 timesper week

2-4 timesper month

Once amonth

A few timesa year

PERCEIVED CHANGE IN BUS SERVICE 2004-2009

More than half of residents think that bus service has improved from 2004-2009.

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HOW HAS BUS SERVICE CHANGED IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS?

55%

20%

5%

21%

0%

20%

40%

60%

Improved About the same Worse Don't Know

EVALUATION OF CHANGES IN SERVICE Frequency of service (43%) followed by span of weekday service (35%)

were cited as having improved most over the past five years.

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HOW HAS BUS SERVICE CHANGED IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS?

12% 12% 8%

31%23%

23%

20%23% 26%

32% 38% 39%

8%

20%

23%

3%4%4%

5%

1%1%1% 2%

42%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Frequency of service Weekday span ofservice

Length of time todestination

Availability of serviceon weekends

DK

Much Worse

Worse

Same

Better

Much Better

AWARENESS OF GO LINES Half of the residents have heard of the GO Lines and of those 43

percent say the GO Lines run more frequently than other routes.

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HOW ARE THE GO LINES DIFFERENT?

43%

11%

46%

0%

20%

40%

60%

Run morefrequently

Other Don't Know

ARE YOU AWARE OF THE GO LINES?

No48%

Yes52%

ROLE OF BUS SERVICE WTA provides a needed service. WTA provides an option for “choice riders.” WTA is good for the economy and environment.

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36% 34%26% 22%

6%

49% 49%57%

48%

23%

18%

13%

42%

7% 8% 9%

4% 6% 5%7% 10%

1% 1% 1%1%

6%5%2%2%3%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Is needed forresidents with noother way to get

around

Reduces airpollution

Is an alternativeto driving alone

Helps theeconomy

Providestransportation

only for residentswith no other

alternative

DK

Strongly Disgree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

SATISFACTION WITH BUS SERVICE Fifty-seven percent of residents are satisfied or very satisfied with WTA services.

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OVERALL HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH BUS SERVICE?

17%26%

10%

41%

44%

39%

20%

16%

22%

15%9%

19%

6%8%

4%2%

2%

2%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

All Residents Bellingham Outside Bellingham

DK

VeryDissatisfied

SomewhatDisatisfied

SomewhatSatisfied

Satisfied

VerySatisfied

LEVEL OF SERVICE Eighty-seven percent of residents think bus services should be maintained or increased.

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HOW SERVICE SHOULD BE CHANGED?

43% 42% 43%

44% 47% 43%

4%3%

5%

9% 7% 10%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

All Residents Bellingham Outside Bellingham

Don’t Know

Decrease

Maintain atcurrent level

Increase

AWARENESS OF REVENUE DOWNTURN Just over one quarter of Whatcom County residents knew there

was a funding shortfall prior to taking the survey.

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AWARENESS OF FUNDING SHORTFALL

26%

34%

21%

79%

66%74%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

All Residents Bellingham Outside Bellingham

Yes

No

OPTIONS FOR ADDRESSING SHORTFALL

More than half of Whatcom County residents say that a sales tax increase should be used to maintain or expand WTA service.

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HOW SHOULD REVENUES AND EXPENSES BE BALANCED?

38%

22%18%

4% 3% 5%10%

20% 20%

2% 2%5% 7%

23%

17%

5% 4% 5%

12%

44%

34%

0%

20%

40%

60%

Increase salestax to maintain

service

Reduceservice

Increase salestax to expand

service

Raise fares Don't raisetaxes

Other Don't know

Overall Bellingham Outside Bellingham

METHODOLOGY- Onboard Survey

Surveys conducted with onboard riders between November 30 and December 5, 2009.

Surveys were conducted throughout the service day to secure a representative sample of all riders.

596 surveys were completed, providing a margin of error of + 4.0% at a 95% confidence level.

Service improvements results reflect only non-student data.

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ONBOARD RESPONDENT PROFILE

ARE YOU A WWU STUDENT?n=596

NO 51%YES 46%

NA 3%

16

The survey respondents approximate the ridership distribution of students and non-students.

HOW MANY BUSES WILL YOU BOARD TO COMPLETE THIS ONE-WAY TRIP?n=596

54%

41%

5%

0%

20%

40%

60%

1 2 3 or More

BUSES USED TO COMPLETE TRIP

17

More than half of the respondents completed their trip without a

transfer.

EVALUATION OF CHANGES IN SERVICE

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HOW HAS BUS SERVICE CHANGED IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS?n=310

26% 32% 37% 31% 26%35%

31%31%

28%

16% 24%

24%

23%19% 19%

33% 32%22%

13% 15% 13%19%

13% 14%

4%4%4% 3% 3% 1%

1%1%2%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Buses on Time Hours of Service Frequency Safety Travel Time CustomerService

DK/NA

Much Worse

SomewhatWorse

Same

Better

Much Better

Frequency and hours of service were considered to be the most

improved by onboard respondents. Non-student responses only.

AWARENESS OF REVENUE DOWNTURN

AWARE THAT WTA'S FUNDING IS DOWN 10 PERCENT?n=596

No 49%

Don't Know/NA 6%

Yes 45%

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Just under half of the onboard respondents know that WTA revenues

are down.

OPTIONS FOR ADDRESSING SHORTFALL

HOW SHOULD WTA ADDRESS THE SHORTFALL?n=596

25%

54%

16%

5%

0%

20%

40%

60%

Tax to Expand Tax to Maintain Reduce Service Don't Know

20

Over half of the onboard respondents supported a sales tax increase to maintain service levels.

SERVICE REDUCTIONS

IF WTA HAD TO REDUCE SERVICES, WHERE SHOULD THAT BE?n=596

21%

5%

21%

19%

6%

8%7%

14%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Fewer GOLines

LessSaturdayService

Less SundayService

Less Serviceto RuralAreas

LessEveningService

Later StartTimes onWeekdays

Other NA

21

Decreasing Sunday service, the GO lines and service to rural areas

were the top three considerations for service reductions.

SERVICE EXPANSION

IF WTA COULD EXPAND SERVICES, WHERE SHOULD THAT BE?n=596

14%

9%

22%

11%

27%

5%7% 7%

0%

20%

40%

More GOLines

MoreSaturdayService

MoreSundayService

MoreService to

RuralAreas

MoreEveningService

EarlierWeekdayService

Other NA

22

Increasing evening and Sunday service and the GO Lines were the top ranked choices for service expansion.