CITY OF LOS ANGELES INTER-DEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE ~! ' Date: September 2, 2005 To: The Honorable City Council C/o Ci y Clerk, Room 395 Atten on: Honor ble Wendy Greuel, Transportation Committee From: Subject: ch the Road {WTR) Quarterly Report {April -June 2005) RECOMMENDATIONS That the City Council Note and File this report, inasmuch as this report provides information only and no Council action is required. SUMMARY In May 2004, LADOT launched a traffic safety program called Watch the Road. This public safety campaign has three primary components: public education via mass marketing coordinated enforcement and stringent monitoring. For the monitoring component, after 15 months of the mass marketing/ outreach effort, two telephone surveys demonstrate that traffic safety advertising has been effective in reaching the public. The unaided recognition rate for traffic safety messages increased from 24% in January 2005 to 34% in June 2005. Most importantly, these numbers increased in statistically significant amounts within Watch the Road's targeted high-risk demographics. Additionally, total awareness (unaided + aided) increased to above 50% in primary traffic safety areas such as buckling up, DUI, inattentive driving, red light running and jaywalking. All of these topics were areas of focus during the six months preceding the survey in late June 2005. The second method of program evaluation is "on-street behavior" assessment. Over 80% of locations being monitored for speed showed improvement. All but one location within the City of LA showed improvement. The results of the seven other behaviors being studied are forthcoming. The results of the awareness survey and the speed survey are included as Attachments A and B, respectively. For the enforcement component, LADOT and LAPD have begun to work together to target various behaviors for the balance of the. campaign. Rigorous neighborhood speeding enforcement is scheduled for September 2005. DUI, buckling up and red light enforcement will be coordinated with national campaign timelines, etc. The potential also exists to enforce speed racing in a coordinated program during 2006. Honorable City Council Page 2 September 2, 2005 DISCUSSION Program Assessment A telephone survey conducted in January 2005 showed that one in four Angelenos (24%) recognized traffic safety messages on an unaided basis. The same survey conducted in June 2005 showed that this figure increased to one in three (34%). Most importantly, these numbers increased in statistically significant amounts within Watch the Road's targeted high-risk demographics. Additionally, total awareness (unaided+ aided) increased significantly among the following issues: Buckling Up (89% in June 2005 vs. January 2005), Driving Under the Influence (87% vs. 73%), Inattentive Driving (70% vs. 60%), Red Light Running (66% vs. 48%) and Jaywalking (58% vs. 48%). All of these topics were areas of focus during the six months preceding the survey in late June 2005. LADOT is also conducting "on-street behavior" assessments. Although results are not in for all eight behaviors being monitored, the one for speeding at fifteen locations countywide shows significant results. Over 80% of locations being monitored for speed showed improvement. All but one location within the City of LA showed improvement. For LA City locations showing improvement, results ranged from a decrease of one percent to a decrease of 15% for vehicles traveling 10 mph over the speed limit. Although speed reductions cannot be attributed directly to the campaign, these results are heartening, especially when taken in context with the increased traffic safety message recognition rates identified above. The final method for program effectiveness is to monitor crash data. Significant time has not lapsed to present results in this · category. Results for this are expected in 2006. POGRAM UPDATE Mass Marketing For the period October through December 2004, WTR aired modest radio commercials on KPWR (106 FM), KROQ (106.7 FM) and KLVE (Spanish 107.5 FM). Starting January 2005, along with the above two English stations, WTR also made purchases on the following stations: KHHT (92 FM), KIIS (102.7 FM), KKBT (100.3 FM), KSSC/KSSD/KSSE (Spanish 107.1 FM) and KPCC (89.3 FM). Additionally, spots aired on 30 various AM and FM radio stations in conjunction with traffic reports provided by Metro Networks. PSAs produced in conjunction with IT A/Channel 35 continue to air on over 25 government access cable stations or bulletin boards throughout the county with our partner cities, such as Alhambra, Azusa, Burbank, Calabasas, Cerritos, Commerce, El Segundo, Gardena, Glendale, Hidden Hills, Lancaster, Long Beach, Monterey Park, Pasadena, Santa Clarita, Torrance, Whittier, LAUSD TV and LA City's Channel 35. Our partners at CHP broadcast WTR messages during FOX news traffic reports and on dozens of their participating radio stations. Honorable City Council Page 3 September 2, 2005 Outdoor print ads also continue to run with in-kind participation from Metro and a significant 2005-06 campaign is being supported by Santa Monica Big Blue Bus. The bulk of the bus exterior ads run on 309 LADOT DASH and Commuter Express buses. Also, bus shelter ad space is provided for free by our partners at Viacom Decaux. Community Outreach During this quarter, staff made approximately one presentation weekly, includin~ those at the Harbor City Neighborhood Council; Sylmar HS Community Showcase; 2n Annual Traffic Safety Fair; Congress of Neighborhoods at the Convention Center; UCLA; etc. Also during this ~uarter, WTR got its message out to over 40,000 participants when it sponsored the 15 Annual Watch the Road Day at Dodger Stadium. Over 500 students participated in a traffic safety curriculum and entered ·a traffic safety slogan 1 contest. Danny Campos, a 5 h grader from CD?, was the winner of the English slogan contest with the phrase "Don't let safety take a holiday." There were numerous other wonderful entries from the other 500 participants, and the Los Angeles Dodgers recognized WTR in an on-field recognition ceremony. Staff placed another order for 10,000 yard signs since the first 5,000 free yard signs were easily "sold out" when release last quarter. Signs and other materials can be requested by visiting WatchTheRoad.org. NEXT STEPS I UPCOMING EVENTS It is vital to move forward with the next phase of the campaign: coordination of education activities in conjunction with traffic law enforcement. LADOT and LAPD met to determine a "battle plan" for deploying traffic safety enforcement resources for next quarter to deter speeders. Subsequent ongoing meeting will develop a timeline for late 2005 and throughout 2006 for enforcing other bad roadway behaviors. Staff continues to work on expanding community involvement in this campaign. For next quarter, staff will place additional focus on the 41 neighborhood councils (out of 86) that signed up for the neighborhood traffic safety program. Neighborhood Councils will be given location specific yard signs and enforcement will be requested at identified neighborhood speeding locations. C: Chief Gascon, LAPD Attachments Attachment II Transportation Tracking Study Los Angeles County Waves 1 &2 Prepared for: los Angeles Department of Transportation ' ,3,Hr 11 Rt::':::.~~ 1f }1 r_., h,c• •. \JS l•,r Background/Methodology II • The Los Angeles Department of Transportation and Operation Traffix commissioned Garda Research Associates, Inc. to conduct an Advertising Tracking study In 2005. The objective of the study is to measure the impact and effectiveness of traffic safety messages targeted against residents of Los Angeles County who use some form of transportation. • The first wave of interviews was condudl!d between January 17-31, 2005. The second wave was condudl!d from June 2.8-July 12, 2005. A third wave IS b!ntatively scheduled for October, 2005. + For both waves, just over 500 Interviews were completed via telephone from our Burbank caH center utilizing a computer assisted telephone interviewing system (CAli). + A random digit dial sample was drawn from Los Angeles County residents. + In order to qualify for participaUon, respondents had to be at least 18 years of age and use any mode of transportation regularly. + Just over half of the interviews for both waves were condudl!d in Spanish. The remaining interviews were conducted In English. + The sample is split fairly evenly between males and females. 1 Overall Summary • The data suggests that baffic safety~~!~ ~ ~ eff~ ~ ~!99~-~ portion of ;'-hea~%:.!~~~n.~~~i:~·~';;;~.fA~~~·~=~ ~Js:~~~,J.IJ!!IIaij~·rir~;a9e.,IKI-·~··ry. ..... • "Not bucldi~ ~p· appears tD be. the issue that~ mOst cYi~i1,'~11y among the English-speaking respondents. Significant Increases on both an unaided and total basis were driVen by the English-speakers. Downl:oM1 visitors also recalled "not budding up" significantly more often on an unaided basis. • Among the youngest portion of the sample, "Driving under the Influence-" was the Issue that resonated most. Unaided awareness for this issue lnaeased among the 18 to 24 and 18 to 34 year old groups. Respondents 35 and over were much less likely to have recalled •driving under the Influence. • • Totll awareness lnaeased for vlrtuaUy all of the traffic safety issues tflat were tested. Those tflat reached statistical significance included driving under the influence, lnal:l:entNe driving, running red lights and jaywalking. • "'You drink and drive, you lose" and "click it or ticket" were the advertising slogans recalled most. R«aal of the drinking slogan improved significantly from January on an unaided basis, primarily among Spanish-speakers and respondents over 35. • Total awareness also improved significantly for the slogans "'t's better to lose one minute of your life... , • "look before you cross ... • and "Wati:h the road." Overall Summary • Freeway and changeable message signs were mentioned significantly more often this wave as the source of the tralllc safety ads. Other sources Rice television, radio, bus exterior and Interior remained unchanged while bRiboards and newspapers/print decreased.