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GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...... 3 PURPOSE...... 3 METHODOLOGY ...... 3 KEY FINDINGS ...... 3 SDSU RIDERSHIP ESTIMATION...... 4 CONCLUSIONS...... 4 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...... 9 CHAPTER TWO: 2005 GREEN LINE SURVEY RESULTS ...... 13 CHAPTER THREE: SDSU ONLINE SURVEY ...... 39 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS OF THE SDSU TRANSIT CENTER BUS PASSENGER COUNT...... 61 APPENDIX A: GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY...... 65 APPENDIX B: SDSU TRANSIT USE ONLINE SURVEY...... 67 APPENDIX C: ZIP CODE ANALYSIS FOR THE GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY AND SDSU ONLINE SURVEY ...... 73 APPENDIX D: ANALYSIS OF STATION TO STATION TRAVEL FROM THE GREEN LINE SURVEY...... 79

iii

GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

TABLE OF FIGURES

FIGURE 2.1: TRIP ENDS: WHERE ARE YOU COMING FROM/GOING TO? (Q1 and Q4)...... 13 FIGURE 2.2: MOST COMMON LINKAGES BETWEEN TRIP ENDS (Q1 and Q4)...... 14 FIGURE 2.3: BOARDINGS: AT WHAT STATION DID YOU GET ON THIS TROLLEY? (Q2)...... 15 FIGURE 2.4: “ALIGHTINGS: AT WHAT STATION WILL YOU GET OFF THIS TROLLEY?” (Q5) ...... 16 FIGURE 2.5: COMBINED STATION USE: BOARDINGS AND ALIGHTINGS (Q2 and Q5) ...... 17 FIGURE 2.6: TRAVEL MODE TO/FROM GREEN LINE STATION (Q3 and Q6) ...... 18 FIGURE 2.7: WALKING TIMES ...... 19 FIGURE 2.8: TRANSFERS TO OTHER TROLLEY LINES...... 20 FIGURE 2.9: COMPARISON OF MODE TYPE TO TRIP ENDS (HOME AND ALL OTHER)...... 21 FIGURE 2.10: MAKING THE TRIP BEFORE THE GREEN LINE (Q7)...... 22 FIGURE 2.11: “HOW DID YOU PAY TO USE THE TROLLEY TODAY?” (Q8) ...... 24 FIGURE 2.12: “HOW OFTEN DO YOU TYPICALLY RIDE PUBLIC TRANSIT NOW?” (Q9A) ...... 24 FIGURE 2.13: “HOW OFTEN DID YOU TYPICALLY RIDE PUBLIC TRANSIT A YEAR AGO?” (Q9B)...... 25 FIGURE 2.14: “PAST TRANSIT FREQUENCY OF THOSE WHO TYPICALLY RODE PUBLIC TRANSIT A YEAR AGO” (Q9B) ...... 25 FIGURE 2.15: COMPARING CURRENT RIDERSHIP FREQUENCIES AGAINST THE PREVIOUS YEAR (Q9A AND Q9B)...... 26 FIGURE 2.16: “IF THE SDSU STATION IS YOUR ORIGIN OR DESTINATION, ARE YOU...” Q10)...... 27 FIGURE 2.17: IMPRESSIONS OF THE WHEELCHAIR RAMP ON NEW GREEN LINE CARS BY RAMP/LIFT USERS AND NON-USERS (Q11 AND Q13E)...... 28 FIGURE 2.18: REASONS FOR TROLLEY USE (Q12)...... 29 FIGURE 2.19: PERCENTAGE OF USERS WITH FAVORABLE IMPRESSIONS OF THE NEW CARS ...... 31 FIGURE 2.20: HOURS OF SERVICE ...... 32 FIGURE2.21TRANSIT INFORMATION SOURCES (Q15) ...... 32 FIGURE 2.22: AGE (Q17)...... 33 FIGURE 2.23: RESIDENTIAL ZIP CODES OF PASSENGERS (Q18) ...... 34 FIGURE 3.1: WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW? (Q1) ...... 39

v GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

FIGURE 3.2: AREA OF CURRENT RESIDENCE (BASED ON ZIP CODE) (Q2)...... 40 FIGURE 3.3: HOW HAVE YOU USED MTS BUS OR TROLLEY SERVICE? (Q11) ...... 41 FIGURE3.4: ADDITIONAL REASONS FOR USING TRANSIT (Q13)...... 43 FIGURE 3.5: REASONS FOR NOT USING MTS TRANSIT (Q4) ...... 44 FIGURE 3.6: TRANSIT SERVICES USED BY MTS USERS (Q14-18) ...... 45 FIGURE 3.7: FREQUENCY OF TRANSIT USE (Q19 AND Q36) ...... 45 FIGURE 3.8: “HOW HAS YOUR USE OF MTS BUS OR TROLLEY SERVICE CHANGED SINCE THE GREEN LINE TROLLEY BEGAN OPERATION IN JULY 2005?” (Q24) ...... 46 FIGURE 3.9: HOW DO YOU GENERALLY PAY FOR YOUR TRANSIT TRIP? (Q20) ...... 47 FIGURE 3.10: “DO YOU HAVE A CAR AVAILABLE TO YOU TO MAKE THE TRIPS YOU MAKE ON TRANSIT?” (Q21) ...... 47 FIGURE 3.11: IMPRESSIONS OF THE TROLLEY (Q27) ...... 48 FIGURE 3.12: IMPRESSIONS OF MTS BUS (Q27)...... 49 FIGURE 3.13: IMPRESSIONS OF TRANSIT INFORMATION (Q27) ...... 50 FIGURE 3.14: “TOP 12 MTS ROUTES USED MOST OFTEN” (Q27) ...... 50 FIGURE 3.15: TROLLEY LINE USAGE (Q33)...... 51 FIGURE 3.16: SOURCES OF TRANSIT INFORMATION (Q23) ...... 52 FIGURE 3.17: LATE NIGHT SERVICE PREFERENCES (Q7 AND Q25)...... 53 FIGURE 3.18: “IF TROLLEY SERVICE WERE EXTENDED TO MIDNIGHT, WHAT EFFECT WOULD IT HAVE ON YOUR USE OF THE TROLLEY?” (Q8 AND Q26) ...... 54 FIGURE 3.19: “WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SUPPORT AN INCREASE IN STUDENT FEES TO PROVIDE ALL STUDENTS WITH A SEMESTER TRANSIT PASS?” (Q9 AND Q28) ...... 54 FIGURE 3.20: AGE (Q30) ...... 55 FIGURE 3.21: EXPECTED YEAR OF GRADUATION (Q31)...... 56 FIGURE 3.22: PERMANENT RESIDENCE LOCATIONS OF ALL RESPONDENTS ...... 56 FIGURE D.1: MOST FREQUENT TRIPS TAKEN BY GREEN LINE USERS (Q2 AND Q5) ...... 79

vi GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 2.1: THE THIRTY MOST POPULAR BUS ROUTES MENTIONED AS A TRANSFER BY GREEN LINE USERS...... 19 TABLE 2.2: MOST COMMON BUS ROUTES USED PRIOR TO THE OPENING OF THE GREEN LINE...... 23 TABLE 2.3: IMPRESSIONS OF THE GREEN LINE - NEW CARS ...... 30 TABLE 2.4: IMPRESSIONS OF THE GREEN LINE - NEW STATIONS ...... 31 TABLE 2.5: GENDER (Q16)...... 33 TABLE 3.1 PERCENT WHO HAVE RIDDEN TRANSIT THIS SCHOOL YEAR ...... 41 TABLE 3.2: REASONS FOR USING TRANSIT (Q12)...... 42 TABLE 3.1: TRANSIT RESOURCES FOR THE NON-RIDER ...... 52 TABLE 4.1: RESULTS OF THE SDSU TRANSIT CENTER COUNTS ...... 61 TABLE 4.2: MODE CHANGE OF GREEN LINE SURVEY RESPONDENTS WHO SELECTED SDSU TRANSIT CENTER AS A TROLLEY TRIP END...... 62 TABLE 4.3: BOARDINGS AND ALIGHTINGS BY BUS ROUTE – NOVEMBER 2005 (AFTER THE OPENING OF THE GREEN LINE) ...... 62 TABLE 4.4: BOARDINGS AND ALIGHTINGS BY BUS ROUTE – FY 2005(PRIOR TO THE OPENING OF THE GREEN LINE)...... 62 TABLE C.1: GEOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION OF GREEN LINE PASSENGERS (TOP 25) ...... 73 TABLE C.2: MOST FREQUENT ZIP CODES OF GREEN LINE PASSENGERS (TOP 25)...... 74 TABLE C.3: GEOGRAPHIC GROUPS BY ZIP CODES USED FOR TABLE C.1 ...... 75 TABLE C.4: MOST COMMON CURRENT STUDENT ZIP CODES ...... 76 TABLE C.5: MOST COMMON PERMANENT RESIDENCE ZIP CODES...... 77

vii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PURPOSE

This survey and report was prepared by San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) at the request of Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) to gauge the impact of the opening of the Green Line Trolley. Operations on the Green Line Trolley began in July 2005, and the Green Line Onboard Survey was conducted in October 2005, giving a chance for Green Line ridership to normalize and al- low students, especially ones attending San Diego State University (SDSU) to start regular use of the Green Line. This report documents the fi ndings of the Green Line Trolley Onboard Survey, developed by SANDAG, and the SDSU Transit Use Online Survey designed by MTS, as well as the SDSU Transit Center Count.

METHODOLOGY

The Green Line Trolley Survey was conducted via one-page written forms distributed on the Green Line Trolley over the course of four days in October 2005. Each trolley trip had one car surveyed, with all riders over 12 offered a survey, which was available in English and Spanish. Of an average October 2005 weekday ridership of 18,455 passengers, 3,495 surveys were returned and analyzed. The on- board survey had an estimated confi dence level of at least 95 percent, +/- 5 percent.

The SDSU Transit Use Survey was conducted via a web site, which was advertised in the SDSU e-mail newsletter sent to all students (about 35,000). Three hudred eighty-two students fi lled out the on- line survey. Because the survey was described as a Green Line Trolley Survey, very few non-transit users participated. In addition there were limited controls on how many times an individual could complete the survey and the respondents were self selected and not random. As a result, the online survey results are not considered representative of the student population, but do provide a general picture of SDSU students who use the Green Line.

KEY FINDINGS

The onboard survey shows that trolley users are most frequently making home-work trips (36% of trips) and home-school trips (30%). Old Town Transit Center and SDSU were the most common stations used, each accounting for one-fi fth of all boardings and alightings on the Green Line. Of people using the SDSU station, nearly 80 percent are going to the campus instead of the nearby com-

3 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

munity, and more than half of all SDSU station users are current students. One-third of Green Line users walk between their trip end and the trolley, while 42 percent use transit (either bus or trolley transfers) to connect between a trip end and the Green Line. Not surprisingly, trips ends going to home or coming from home had less walking and more automobile use, although more people use the bus to connect from home to the Green Line than actually drive a car. People who walked to/from the Green Line typically walked less than 10 minutes (nearly 90% of walking trips).

The opening of the Green Line has caused a mode shift for some travelers. Prior to the Green Line opening, one-quarter of current Green Line riders drove or rode in an automobile for their trip. This means that 4,600 trips have diverted to transit daily. 41 percent of respondents used transit service (bus or trolley) prior to the Green Line. More than half of riders who did not use transit a year ago now are using transit 5-7 days per week, with the most common fare media being monthly or college passes.

Green Line users have a positive impression of the new trolley vehicles, with higher marks going to the vehicle exterior than the interior and lower marks going to seat comfort. Most people are content with hours of service although 30 percent would like to see the service run later in the evening.

Online survey responses focused mostly on transit system users, most of which had used the Green Line and had favorable impressions of the system, again with car exterior being higher rated than interior. Two-thirds of students ride at least one day per week, with 30 percent riding everyday. A third of transit-riding students have used MTS bus routes during the current school year.

While the www.sdcommute.com web site was the most frequent way for Green Line users and SDSU transit riders to get information, Green Line Survey respondents were more likely to use the down- town Transit Store or1-800-Commute, while SDSU Online Survey respondents were more likely to use the www.sdsutrolley.org web site or the information center at Aztec Center.

SDSU RIDERSHIP ESTIMATION

The SDSU Transit Center Count showed that while bus use at SDSU Transit Center has decreased slightly, the opening of the Green Line Trolley has allowed for the total transit ridership to more than triple, from 2,200 weekday trips prior to the Green Line to more than 7,100 weekday trips in Novem- ber 2005.

CONCLUSIONS

The Green Line has been successful in attracting new ridership to transit. Forty percent of Green Line users did not use transit at all in the previous year, including the 25 percent who relied previously on automobiles. Existing transit riders who use the Green Line are becoming more frequent transit users. The SDSU Transit Center has generated nearly 4,900 new trips each day. This corresponds to about 2,000 cars no longer being driven to SDSU each day.

Approximately one-third of trips to/from the trolley are walk trips, therefore, MTS should encourage the improvement of the pedestrian environment within a ten minute walking distance of each on as well as encourage compatible land uses for more employment, housing, education, and shopping destinations within a ten minute walk of trolley stations.

4 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

While riders generally held a favorable view of the new cars used on the Green Line, impressions of seat comfort lagged by other aspects of the new cars. Changes to the design of the seats should be considered when additional new cars are ordered.

If additional hours of service were provided, more riders expressed a preference that service is ex- tended on Friday and Saturday nights.

5

CHAPTER ONE

GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

GREEN LINE TROLLEY AND SDSU TRANSIT USE SURVEYS

This report documents the fi ndings of the Green Line Trolley Onboard Survey, conducted in October 2005 and the online SDSU Student Transit Use Survey, conducted in the fall of 2005.

Chapter 2 provides a detailed summary of the fi ndings of the Green Line Trolley survey, while Chapter 3 provides a similar analysis of the SDSU Transit Use survey. Chapter 4 shows the results of the SDSU Transit Center Count of boardings and alightings. Appendices A and B present the questions used for the Green Line Passenger Survey and the SDSU Online Survey respectively. Appendix C provides residence location information for survey respondents. Appendix D Contains Green Line station to station travel volumes from the passenger survey.

The 2005 Green Line Trolley Survey was conducted through onboard one-page written forms dis- tributed on the Green Line over the course of two weekday mornings and two weekday afternoons in October 2005. The survey was written by SANDAG staff and was made available in both English and Spanish. Copies of the survey in both languages are provided in Appendix A. Survey takers were instructed to offer the survey to all trolley riders except children under 12. It is estimated that ap- proximately 8,000 passengers were invited to complete the survey, and about 3,500 surveys were collected, with one car of every trip of the Green Line being covered once, allowing the survey distri- bution to correspond to one full weekday. The completed surveys were checked for reasonableness and then were coded for analysis. 3,495 surveys were considered valid for inclusion. The average daily ridership on a weekday for the Green Line in October 2005 was 18,455 according to the Passen- ger Counting Program. The confi dence level is estimated to be 95 percent with a potential margin of error of +/- 5 percent.

As a way to gain more information about transit users at SDSU, an online survey was conducted via surveymonkey.com, with the incentive of winning an iPod or other prizes to attract survey response. The survey questions were developed by MTS, with assistance from SANDAG. The survey was mar- keted via an article about the transit survey in the SDSU online newsletter sent to all students via email. The survey questions and online newsletter article are provided in Appendix B. Three hundred eighty-two SDSU students replied, with 90 percent of them having used an MTS bus or trolley dur- ing the current school year. Because of respondent self-selection, this percentage may or may not be indicative of the ridership behavior of the general student population, as non-riders may be less inclined to fi ll out a survey on transit use.

9

CHAPTER TWO

GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

CHAPTER TWO: 2005 GREEN LINE SURVEY RESULTS

The results of each question contained in the on-board passenger survey are graphically presented in this chapter.

Questions 1 and 4: Origins and Destinations

Q1: Where are you coming from?

Q4: Where are you going?

For each of these questions, respondents were asked to select one answer from six possibilities (home, work, school, shopping, recreation/visit friends, and other). The results of both questions have been combined and are displayed as trip ends in Figure 2.1. Origins and destinations are both considered trip ends. Personal Business was not offered as a choice on the survey but was mentioned by some respondents under Other, and so was recorded separately.

Figure 2.1: Trip Ends: Where are you coming from / going to? (Q1 and Q4)



 

 

 

 

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13 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

More than 85 percent of survey respondents stated that they were either coming from home or go- ing home. Work and School were also signifi cant trip ends.

Figure 2.2: Most common linkages between trip ends (Q1 and Q4)

















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All other connections individually did not exceed one percent of valid survey responses. These results are consistent with the fi ndings of Figure 2.1, where Home as either origin or destination was nearly the sum of work, school and shopping.

Questions 2 and 5: Stations Used

Q2: At what station did you get on THIS trolley?

Q5: At what station will you get off THIS trolley?

This set of questions was answered validly on about 75 percent of all surveys. For the remainder, ei- ther respondents did not provide their boarding or alighting station information or their responses did not correspond to valid Green Line stations.

14 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 2.3: Boardings: At what station did you get on THIS trolley? (Q2)

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Old Town Transit Center comprised nearly a quarter of all boardings, followed by SDSU Transit Cen- ter. The next three most popular boarding locations are all major transit centers (Grossmont, El Ca- jon, Fashion Valley), served by many bus routes. Old Town Transit Center serves as the main transfer point between the Blue Line and the Green Line, while transfers between the Green Line and the Orange Line can occur at Gillespie Field, Arnele, El Cajon Transit Center, Amaya and Grossmont Tran- sit Center.

15 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 2.4: “Alightings: At what station will you get off THIS trolley?” (Q5)

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As a station for alighting, SDSU transit center was the most frequent station cited, edging out Old Town Transit Center. The transit centers of Fashion Valley, El Cajon and Grossmont stations round out the top fi ve in usage.

16 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 2.5: Combined Station Use: Boardings and Alightings (Q2 and Q5)

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Combining the boardings and alightings, Old Town Transit Center and SDSU Transit Center each ac- count for one-fi fth of all trip ends on the Green Line. The transit centers at Fashion Valley, El Cajon and Grossmont combined form about one-quarter of all trip ends. The stations at Gillespie Field, Ar- nele and Qualcomm Stadium were least popular on these regular weekdays. The high level of activity at Old Town Transit Center refl ects on the need to transfer between the Green and Blue Lines.

An analysis of trips between station pairs is provided in Appendix D.

17 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Question 3 and Question 6: Station Access and Departure

Q3: How did you get to THIS trolley?

Q6: After you get off THIS trolley, will you…

Nearly all survey respondents answered questions 3 and 6 about their transportation modes used to reach the Green Line and their destination. The most common mode was walking (33.8%), followed by transferring to/from a bus route (26.2%), and transferring to/from another trolley line (16.7%). A complete breakdown is provided in Figure 2.6.

Figure 2.6: Travel Mode to/from Green Line Station (Q3 and Q6)

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Of the 33.8 percent of respondents who indicated that walking was a mode of transportation to con- nect one end of their trip, more than 90 percent indicated the length of the walk. Almost two-thirds of trips on foot to or from the Green Line are under fi ve minutes or about ¼ mile. Almost 90 percent of all trips on foot are less than ten minutes or ½ mile.

18 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

FFigureigure 22.7:.7: WalkingWalking TimesTimes















 MINUTES         GREATER ORLESS MINUTES MINUTES MINUTES MINUTES THAN MINUTES

Of the 26.2 percent of respondents who indicated bus transfer, only two-thirds of them indicated which bus routes either brought them to a Green Line station or would take them from a Green Line station to their destination. Over ninety different bus routes were identifi ed. The thirty most com- mon bus routes reported are provided in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1: The Thirty Most Popular Bus Routes Mentioned as a Transfer by Green Line Users

19 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

These top thirty routes represent 1,032 of the trips identifi ed in the survey results. The remaining 60 routes reported represent 155 route trips identifi ed. Nearly 600 respondents who said they trans- ferred from or would transfer to a bus route did not indicate which route they used or would use.

Of the 16.7 percent who indicated a transfer to or from another trolley line, three-fourths of these transfers were to the Blue Line at Old Town Transit Center, while the remaining fourth were to the Orange Line, mostly at Grossmont Transit Center.

Figure 2.8: Transfers to Other Trolley Lines

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Examining how trip end type factored into method used to access the Green Line, a cross comparison of home vs. non-home trip ends and mode from/to the trolley was made.

20 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 2.9: Comparison of mode type to trip ends (home and all other)

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The most commonly used method to travel between Home and the Green Line was by bus, but the most common mode to travel between non-home locations and the Green Line was by walking. The popularity of walking to other locations is reasonable, particularly for SDSU students who can walk to campus destinations directly from the SDSU station. Further, Green Line users were more likely to drive their own cars in the trip segment between home and the Green Line than in the trip segment connecting to other locations. Bus use was slightly higher on trips between home and the Green Line while trolley use remained constant. Other unspecifi ed modes of transportation were much more likely in connecting non-home trip ends than home.

1.6 percent of Green Line users transfer to or from the Coaster or Amtrak rail services. The SDSU on- line survey revealed that nearly a fi fth of transit-using SDSU students had ridden the Coaster at least once and more than a third had ridden Amtrak at least once.

Question 7: “How did you make this trip before the Green Line started?”

This question examines the effectiveness of the Green Line as a method of attracting automobile drivers and passengers to transit. Respondents were given ten possible choices. Ninety-four percent of survey respondents answered this question.

21 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 2.10: Making the Trip before the Green Line (Q7)

Forty-one percent of respondents had used transit (trolley and bus) when making this trip previously, while only 25.1 percent relied on automobiles (solo drivers, carpoolers, dropped off, taxi riders). If 25.1 percent of all weekday Green Line riders were previously using automobiles, then the Green Line has diverted more than 4,600 trips each weekday. If the 18.7 percent of Green Line riders who previously drove alone are now leaving their cars at home and using transit instead, then more than 3,400 cars are being diverted from local streets and highways.

Respondents who did not make the trip prior to the introduction of the Green Line include people who wanted to make the trip but were not able to, and people who did not want to make the trip at that time (such as new SDSU students who did not attend the previous year). The opening of the Green Line may have provided access to the former group. It is not clear how much of the 26.6 per- cent fall into either group.

Of the 14.3 percent who previously used a bus route to make the trip, more than one-quarter of them used to ride Route 81, which was discontinued when the Green Line began operation. The most common routes mentioned as being used before the Green Line opened are provided in Table 2.2.

22 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Table 2.2: Most Common Bus Routes Used Prior to the Opening of the Green Line

Question 8: “How did you pay to use the trolley today?”

The standard monthly passes were the most popular form of payment reported by Green Line riders, followed by college student passes. One-fi fth of the riders reported using cash to purchase trolley tickets. Use of the college passes on the Green Line (26.3%) greatly exceeds the percentage of use for the full trolley system (6.0% for October).

23 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 2.11: “How did you pay to use the trolley today?” (Q8)

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Question 9: Frequency of Transit Use

a. How often do you typically ride public transit now?

b. How often did you typically ride public transit a year ago?

This pair of questions explored transit usage patterns. Comparing the answers to these questions can help track changes in rider behavior, including the habits of new riders.

Figure 2.12: “How often do you typically ride public transit now?” (Q9a)

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24 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Riders who rode at least one day per week fi lled in the number of days per week they ride (1-7). These results were put into two groups: everyday riders (5-7 days per week) and frequent riders (1- 4 days per week). Riders could also select 1-3 days a month and less than once a month. These two were combined to show infrequent riders (less than once per week). Figure 2.12 shows 62.8 percent of weekday riders typically ride at least fi ve days a week at the present time, while 12.6 percent ride less than one day per week.

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Nearly 40 percent of current Green Line riders did not ride public transit a year ago. This corresponds to about 7,250 trips each day by people who did not use public transit a year ago (about 3,600 new riders, if it is assumed that each rider makes at least 2 trips per day)

When the new riders are removed from the calculations, the proportions of existing riders can be determined.

Figure 2.14: “Past transit frequency of those who typically rode public transit a year ago” (Q9b)

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25 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Comparing Figure 2.12 and Figure 2.14, riders who typically used transit a year ago have tended to move from being infrequent riders (less than one day per week) to being either a frequent rider or everyday rider.

The change in travel behavior can be observed by comparing the frequency data for occasional and frequent riders in Figure 2.15.

Figure 2.15: Comparing current ridership frequencies against the previous year. (Q9a and Q9b)

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Figure 2.15 shows that most riders who had an established frequency a year ago maintained that same frequency even after the introduction of the Green Line. Thus, last year’s everyday rider strong- ly tended to remain an everyday rider this year, and last year’s frequent rider generally remained a frequent rider, although a third of frequent riders have moved up to becoming everyday riders.

26 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Riders who had not used the service a year ago turned out to be frequent and everyday users, with more than half of them using transit at least fi ve days per week. Former infrequent users also showed increased frequency, with more than 40 percent of them now becoming an everyday rider, and less than a third of them remaining at less than once-weekly frequencies.

Question 10: Affi liation of Users of the SDSU Station

Even though the question was primarily directed at those whose trip end was the SDSU station, more people answered this question (greater than 1,700 responses) than had actually indicated that SDSU was one of their trip ends (only 1,000 responses). This indicates that there are many people affi liated with SDSU that use the Green Line for trips that don’t begin or end at SDSU. This question more ac- curately refl ects people who regularly use the SDSU station, and not just those who actually reported the SDSU Station as a trip end during the survey.

Figure 2.16: “If the SDSU station is your origin or destination, are you...”Q10)

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Slightly more than half of regular SDSU Station users are indeed students at the university. If the students of all types, faculty, staff and campus visitors are actually going to campus, then more than 80 percent of station users have the university as a trip end, and only one-fi fth of station users are using the station to reach their homes or jobs outside the campus. This shows that the university is the primary user base of the trolley in this area.

27 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Question 11: “Did you use the wheelchair ramp or lift?”

Only 2.5 percent of persons answering this question indicated that they used the wheelchair ramp (new trolley cars) or wheelchair lift (old trolley cars). Users of the wheelchair ramp/lift had similar impressions of the wheelchair ramps on the new cars as non-users:

Figure 2.17: Impressions of the Wheelchair Ramp on new Green Line cars by Ramp/Lift Users and Non-Users (Q11 and Q13e)

         3RRU ([FHOOHQW

8VHGWKH 'LGQRWXVHWKH ZKHHOFKDLUUDPSRUOLIW ZKHHOFKDLUUDPSRUOLIW

While ramp/lift users generally had similar impressions about the wheelchair ramps on the new Green Line cars as non-users, there is a slight trend to rate the new ramp as average (3) more than good (4) for ramp/lift users. While impressions from actual users are more valuable overall, it is interesting to note how non-user impressions are comparable with or are slightly higher than the opinions of actual users.

Question 12: “Why did you take the trolley today?”

Survey respondents were asked to select up to three reasons out of 12 possible reasons for taking the trolley. The average respondent selected two reasons.

28 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 2.18: Reasons for Trolley Use (Q12)

$ONgTHAVECARAVAILABLE !VOIDTRAFFICCONGESTION #OSTOFDRIVING !VOIDPARKINGHASSLES 3AVENATURALRESOURCES &ASTERTHANBUS -ORETIMETOREAD RELAX %ASIERTHANDRIVING /THER 'OINGWITHFRIENDS &ASTERTHANDRIVING 7ANTTOSTUDY

     

The most common reasons for trolley use all relate to motor vehicle use. Either trolley riders don’t have a car available, or the complications of driving (traffi c, costs, parking) help steer riders towards transit use. The web survey of SDSU students that use transit produced similar results, with 35 per- cent of SDSU students who use transit claiming unavailability of a car, and saving time on parking and money on fuel as most important reasons for using transit.

Question 13: “Rate your impressions of the Green Line”

Riders were asked to rate their impressions of the new cars and stations of the Green Line using a fi ve point scale, with one meaning poor and fi ve meaning excellent. Because older cars are also used on the Green Line, surveys were tracked to see whether riding in an older car changed people’s per- ceptions of the new cars. Impressions of different aspects can be easily compared by combining the percentages of those who had favorable impressions (selected 4 or 5) into a single positive rating.

29 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Table 2.3: Impressions of the Green Line - New Cars

Overall, survey respondents who happened to be riding on old cars tended to rate their impression of new cars lower than survey respondents who were on the new cars they were rating. This could be due to unfamiliarity with the new cars or confusion by the survey respondents with the old cars. The largest variation was on the rating of the interior appearance, which could indicate unfamiliarity with the new cars if a respondent on an old car had never seen the interior of a new car. The level of seat comfort left the lowest impression on riders.

Eighty-four percent of riders felt that the new car exteriors were favorable (4 or 5), and 76 percent felt that way about the interiors. Less than two-thirds of riders felt that seat comfort was above aver- age and ride quality was seen positively by more than three-fourths of riders. For overall impressions, 82 percent held favorable views.

30 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 2.19: Percentage of Users with Favorable Impressions of the New Cars

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The public generally have highly favorable impressions of the new cars on the Green Line with out- side appearance being rated highest, and seat comfort being rated lowest, but still well above a neutral position.

Table 2.4: Impressions of the Green Line - New Stations

     0OSITIVE2ATING 0OOR %XCELLENT OR

More than 70 percent of those surveyed felt that the new stations had good to excellent transit in- formation and staffi ng.

31 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Question 14: The Green Line Hours of Service

Figure 2.20: Hours of Service

         $UHVXLWDEOHIRUPH $UHQRWHDUO\HQRXJK $UHQRWODWHHQRXJK

The majority of Green Line users felt that the existing hours of service were suffi cient. However, nearly 30 percent of Green Line users felt that Green Line service could run later in the evenings, while less than 10 percent sought service earlier in the mornings. Respondents were allowed to choose multiple options.

Question 15: “Where do you usually get your transit information?”

Riders were asked for their primary source for transit information, including 1-800-Commute, www.sdcommute.com, www.sdsutrolley.com, the Transit Store and other sources.

Figure 2.21 Transit Information Sources (Q15)

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WWWSDCOMMUTECOM 

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32 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Nearly half of respondents to this question used one of the two websites as their primary source for transit information. Interesting to note is that the Transit Store was more commonly used than 1-800- COMMUTE or the SDSU trolley website.

Questions 16 and 17: Gender and Age

Just over 50 percent of survey respondents are male.

Table 2.5: Gender (Q16)

0ERCENTAGE -ALE  &EMALE 

Figure 2.22: Age (Q17)

OROLDER ORYOUNGER  

  

    

 

Almost 45 percent of all Green Line users are 25 or younger, while less than 25 percent of Green Line riders are over the age of 45. This age distribution is consistent with the trip end question which found that 35 percent of all trip ends were to or from school.

Question 18: “What is the ZIP Code where you live?”

Eighty-four percent of survey respondents entered a ZIP code identifying where they lived. Because ZIP code boundaries may not always coincide with city boundaries numbers by city may be approxi- mate.

33 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 2.23: Residential ZIP Codes of Passengers (Q18)

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.#4$3ERVICE !REA  #ITYOF3ANTEE  #ITYOF3AN$IEGO  #ITYOF,A-ESA 

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Overall, more than half of all reported ZIP Codes were from the City of San Diego. The other cities on the Green Line (La Mesa, El Cajon, and Santee) accounted for almost a quarter of the Green Line’s riders. Tww-and-a-half percent of riders live within the NCTD service area. The remaining fi fth of ridership comes from elsewhere in the County or from outside the San Diego region.

Because ZIP codes were asked for, it may be possible that residents of Mexico or other countries ei- ther did not provide a ZIP code or provided a U.S. ZIP code corresponding to some other connection. The ZIP codes that supplied the greatest number of Green Line riders are provided in Appendix C.

34 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Map 2.1: ZIP Code Distribution of Green Line Passengers, (Regional View)

       

 

     

   



    

    

     

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35

CHAPTER THREE

GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

CHAPTER THREE: SDSU ONLINE SURVEY

Of the over 35,000 SDSU students who were sent the email containing the link to the survey, only 382 students elected to respond, including 35 non-users. This chapter presents the results of the online survey. Those who are identifi ed as MTS riders may range from everyday riders to those who have used transit once so far during the school year. MTS users were asked slightly different questions than non-riders. The results are grouped by type of question, and are not in strict numerical order.

RESIDENTIAL LOCATION

Question 1: “Where do you live now?”

More than 80 percent of students surveyed indicated that they lived off campus, with MTS users having a higher percentage of on-campus residents.

Figure 3.1: Where do you live now? (Q1)

                 !LL -435SERS .ON RIDERS

/NCAMPUSHOUSING /FFCAMPUSHOUSING

39 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Question 2: Current ZIP Code

The College Area (92115) has the most students reporting living in it currently, with more students living there than the next seven ZIP Codes combined. The top ten ZIP Code areas that students live in currently include both areas closest to campus (the codes surrounding 92115) and further out (San- tee, the beaches, National City, and eastern El Cajon). Many of these areas have transit service that can reach SDSU, including use of the Green Line to both west and east. Appendix C contains the list of most frequent ZIP codes identifi ed in the survey.

Figure 3.2: Area of Current Residence (based on ZIP Code) (Q2)

/UTSIDE3AN$IEGO#OUNTY  /THER3AN$IEGO2EGION  .#4$3ERVICE!REA  #ITYOF3ANTEE 

#ITYOF ,A-ESA 

#ITYOF %L#AJON 

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TRANSIT RIDERSHIP

Question 3: “Have you ridden an MTS bus or trolley this school year?”

More than 90 percent of the students who responded to the survey have used MTS buses or trolleys at least once during the school year. This survey was marketed in the SDSU online newsletter sent to over 35,000 students in November 2005. Trolley users may have been overrepresented in the survey because the initial link mentioned the Green Line Trolley. Bus users and people who do not use tran- sit appear to be underrepresented in the survey results in comparison to the general population.

40 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Table 3.1

(AVEYOURIDDENAN-43BUSORTROLLEYTHISSCHOOLYEAR 0ERCENT 9ES  .O 

Question 11: “How have you used MTS bus or trolley service?”

Riders were given several options for how they use transit. Most of these are SDSU-specifi c.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents listed going to class as one of their trip purposes. Almost 60 per- cent indicated that they used transit for reaching off-campus shopping and entertainment. More than a third used transit to reach Aztec football games at Qualcomm Stadium, and about a quarter used transit to either go to work or attend special events at SDSU.

Figure 3.3: How have you used MTS bus or Trolley service? (Q11)

       

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Given the residential patterns of SDSU students, it is likely that many of the SDSU students who live farther from campus (outside 92115) are the ones who use transit to attend class, while students who live closer to campus use transit to go to off campus destinations, like shopping, entertainment, and Qualcomm stadium.

41 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Questions 12 and 13: Reasons for Using Transit

Riders were then asked to rank several factors that might be reasons for why they use MTS transit on a fi ve-point scale. A ranking of 1 meant most important, while a ranking of 5 meant least important.

Table 3.2: Reasons for Using Transit (Q12)

-OST -ORE ,ESS ,EAST )MPORTANT )MPORTANT )MPORTANT )MPORTANT )MPORTANT 2EASON      3AVEMONEYONGAS      3AVETIMELOOKINGFORPARKING      4OHELPTHEENVIRONMENT      !VOIDTRAFFICCONGESTION      $ONTHAVEACAR     

Students were most concerned with saving money on fuel and saving time by not having to park. Saving time looking for parking had the most people ranking it as “Most Important” (1) while saving money on gas had more people ranking it as (1) or (2). Helping the environment was not as important to students, of which the largest group chose Less Important (4). Avoiding traffi c congestion tended to be of medium importance, as the majority of respondents ranked it less than saving money or time but more important than helping the environment. Having a car was split drastically between “Most Important” and “Least Important” – 35 percent claimed it was a most important reason, while 60 percent claimed it was least important. This indicates that 35 percent of those surveyed most likely do not have access to a car, while 60 percent do have some access to a car.

Transit riders were also given a chance to enter up to three of their own additional reasons for using transit. More than a third of the transit riders provided at least one additional reason. These entries were categorized and are listed below, with the number of respondents who claimed each as a reason.

42 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 3.4: Additional Reasons for Using Transit (Q13)



#ONVENIENT%ASY

#OST %FFECTIVE

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Convenience or ease of use was the most common reason provided for using transit. Cost-effective- ness (usually compared to the price of a parking permit) was the next most common reason cited. The opportunity to have fun or socialize with friends (or even make new friends) and the opportu- nity to do other things while on transit (study, read, or sleep) also were ranked highly.

Question 4: Reasons for Not Riding MTS Transit

Non-transit users were given several options as reasons for why they do not ride MTS buses or trol- leys. They could choose up to three responses.

43 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 3.5: Reasons for not using MTS transit (Q4)

)HAVEACAR

)gMNOTSUREHOWTOUSETHEBUSORTROLLEY

)WOULDNgTFEELSAFEATATROLLEYSTATIONORBUSSTOP

)WOULDNgTFEELSAFEONBOARDATROLLEYORBUS

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4RANSITSERVICEDOESNgTRUNLATEENOUGH

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Having access to a car was the primary reason why non-users chose not to try transit. Secondarily, non-users also stated that transit did not serve the locations needed or would take too long. These factors could be more an issue of perception than reality, as only 1 respondent mentioned that they tried it before and didn’t like it. Uncertainty on how to ride or fi nd information was also expressed. Non-riders felt that lack of late hour service was more a barrier to transit use than the lack of early hour service.

Questions 14-18: Transit Services Used

MTS users were asked whether they rode particular transit services, including MTS bus, trolley within the school year, Coaster, Amtrak, and NCTD bus routes at all.

44 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 3.6: Transit Services Used by MTS Users (Q14-18)











 -43BUS 4ROLLEY #OASTER !MTRAK .#4$BUS ROUTES ROUTES

Nearly all MTS users had used the Trolley during the school year, but only a third had ridden an MTS bus route since the start of the school year. More students had used Amtrak at least once than had used the Coaster at least once. This may be consistent with the needs of student travel to connect to other regions for weekend or vacation travel rather than connect within the region for commuter travel. Very few students had ever been on a NCTD bus route.

Questions 19 and 36: Frequency of Transit Use

For Question 19, MTS users selected their usual frequency of transit use, divided into 3 basic catego- ries: at least weekly, at least monthly, and less than monthly. Nearly two-thirds of riders use MTS services at least one or more days per week. About one-fi fth of riders only use transit 1-3 days per month. Question 36 sought more detail for weekly users, allowing users to list how many days per week transit service was used.

Figure 3.7: Frequency of Transit Use (Q19 and Q36)

,ESSTHANONEDAY PERMONTH 

 DAYSPER WEEK 

 DAYSPER MONTH 

 DAYSPER WEEK 

The two-thirds of riders who ride one or more days per week correspond to the number of people who listed how many days per week they used transit. Some gave their answer as a range, which was

45 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

simplifi ed to the median of that range. For instance 3-5 days was simplifi ed to 4. All results (from less than one to seven) were then grouped into three categories, based on the methodology from the Green Line survey.

Of the riders who answered how many days per week they rode transit, more than half ride an aver- age of 1-4 days per week, while slightly less than half rode 5 or more days per week.

Question 24: Changes to Ridership Due to the Opening of the Green Line

MTS Users were asked to show how their ridership pattern had changed as a result of the opening of the Green Line in July 2005. More than three-fourths of MTS users responded that they now rode more often than before the Green Line began operation.

Figure 3.8: “How has your use of MTS bus or trolley service changed since the Green Line Trolley began operation in July 2005?” (Q24)

!BOUTTHE SAME 

2IDELESS 

2IDEMORE 

Question 20: Fare Type

MTS users provided info on which fare media they used when riding transit. Half reported using a college semester pass, and nearly 30 percent reported using cash. College monthly passes were not used very much among SDSU students. Most of the users who selected “Other” indicated using regular monthly passes.

For the Fall 2005 semester, 3,403 semester passes were sold at SDSU. College monthly pass sales at SDSU were 351 for October 2005 and 372 for November 2005.

46 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 3.9: How do you generally pay for your transit trip? (Q20)

/THER 3ENIOR$ISABLED  

#OLLEGESEMESTER #ASH  PASS 

$AYPASS  #OLLEGE-ONTHLY PASS 

Question 21: Car Availability

Unavailability of a car was mentioned earlier as a potential factor for choosing transit. This question sought additional clarifi cation about the infl uence of automobiles. More than two-thirds of MTS users have a car available all the time, while an additional 11 percent have a car available to them sometimes. Only 20 percent of MTS users do not have a car available to them at any time.

Figure 3.10: “Do you have a car available to you to make the trips you make on transit?” (Q21)





 





 

 9ES .O 3OMETIMES

Question 22: Bicycles on Transit

When MTS users were asked if they regularly brought a bicycle with them on the bus or trolley, 2.3 percent replied yes, 93 percent replied no, and 4.4 percent replied sometimes.

47 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Question 27: Impressions of MTS Services

Question 27 asked MTS users to rate various aspects of Trolley and bus service as either poor, aver- age, great or no opinion.

Figure 3.11: Impressions of the Trolley (Q27)

4ROLLEYEXTERIOR

4ROLLEYINTERIOR

4ROLLEYOPERATOR

3AFETYONTROLLEY

4ROLLEYSECURITYOFFICER

4ROLLEYHOURSOFSERVICE

4ROLLEYFREQUENCYOFSERVICE

4ROLLEYWHEELCHAIRLIFT

4ROLLEYWHEELCHAIRRAMP

       

0OOR !VERAGE 'REAT .OOPINION

For the Trolley, most users felt that the Trolley exterior was between great and average, while the in- terior was only slightly above average. Likewise, trolley operators and safety were viewed as slightly above average. Hours of service and frequency of service were also seen as slightly above average. Most people had no opinion of the wheelchair lifts and ramps on the trolleys, but of those that had a view, the lifts and ramps were seen as between average and great.

48 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Figure 3.12: Impressions of MTS Bus (Q27)

"USEXTERIOR

"USINTERIOR

"USDRIVER

3AFETYONBUS

3AFETYATBUSSTOP

"USHOURSOFSERVICE

"USFREQUENCYOF SERVICE

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0OOR !VERAGE 'REAT .O/PINION

Recalling that only about one-third of MTS users in the survey had ridden a MTS bus route so far during the school year, it is not surprising that more than half of MTS users had no opinion at all on MTS bus services. Of those expressing an opinion, the bus exterior was viewed as slightly above aver- age, while the bus interior was viewed as slightly below average. Drivers were seen as slightly above average. Safety aboard buses was felt to be average while safety at stops was considered below average. Users likewise felt that bus hours of service and frequency of service were poor to average. Wheelchair lifts on buses were slightly above average, though nearly three-fourths of riders had no opinion on them.

49 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

The fi nal question related to user impressions was on transit information. Most users felt that transit information was defi nitely average or better.

Figure 3.13: Impressions of Transit Information (Q27)

4RANSITINFORMATION

      

0OOR !VERAGE 'REAT .O/PINION

Question 33: MTS Bus Routes Used

Less than a third of MTS users listed the MTS bus routes they used most often. This matches the fact that only about a third of MTS users ride the bus (Question 14). Riders were given 4 separate entry lines, allowing them to list multiple routes they use. In addition some answers mentioned specifi c trips taken, involving transfers from one route to another or multiple routes that serve that trip. All of these were counted separately. 55 different routes were reported, and the top 12 are listed in Figure 3.14. The remaining 43 valid routes were selected by less than three percent of those submit- ting routes.

It is not surprising that the routes that serve the SDSU Transit Center (11, 13, 115, 936, and 955) and routes near the campus (1 and 15) show up as the most frequently used. Route 13 (Euclid Ave Transit Center to SDSU via Grantville) was used by more than one-fi fth of those who responded. Also simi- larly used were Route 11 (Skyline to SDSU via Downtown and Hillcrest) and Route 115 (Downtown to El Cajon via SDSU).

Figure 3.14: “Top 12 MTS Routes Used Most Often” (Q27)

2OUTE 2OUTE 2OUTE 2OUTE 2OUTE 2OUTE 2OUTE 2OUTE 2OUTE 2OUTE 2OUTE UNKNOWN

     

50 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Question 34: Trolley Line Usage

Nearly all MTS users claimed to have ridden the trolley during the school year. Not surprisingly, nearly all MTS users have ridden the Green Line, which serves the SDSU campus. Half of MTS users have also ridden the Blue Line, while more than one-third has used the Orange line. The responses to this question do not distinguish between one-time, occasional and frequent users.

Figure 3.15: Trolley Line Usage (Q33)

           "LUE,INE /RANGE,INE 'REEN,INE

Question 35: NCTD Routes Ridden

Only three percent of MTS users had reported any use of NCTD bus routes, and so when asked which NCTD routes were used most often, only two percent of MTS users submitted routes. Route 101 was the most commonly listed, with three users. Three routes listed (20, 860, 990) are not actual NCTD routes, but MTS routes that provide service to North County. Two other routes (302, 306) each re- ported one rider.

51 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Question 23: Sources of Transit Information

MTS users were asked to check all their commonly used resources when obtaining transit service in- formation. Websites were the most common methods, followed by the information counter at Aztec Center.

Figure 3.16: Sources of Transit Information (Q23)

The “Other” category was primarily information found at transit centers and trolley stations. This

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shows that the most effective methods for getting SDSU students transit information are via the web and the SDSU information center.

Questions 5 and 6: Transit Resources for the Non-Rider

These questions asked the small sample of non-riders (35 respondents) if they had ever used either the www.sdsutrolley.org web site or the www.sdcommute.com web site. More non-riders were fa- miliar with the sdcommute site, but the majority of non-riders have not visited either site.

Table 3.1: Transit Resources for the Non-Rider

(AVEYOUEVERVISITEDx 0ERCENT

WWWSDSUTROLLEYORG 9ES  .O 

WWWSDCOMMUTECOM 9ES  .O

52 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Question 7 and 25: Late Night Service Preferences

In Question 7, Non-riders were asked which nights of the week they would use a potential late night service if it were offered by MTS. Question 25 asked MTS users the same thing: “MTS is considering extending Trolley service to SDSU from 10:30 p.m. until midnight on one or more nights. Check the nights you might require later service.”

Figure 3.17: Late Night Service Preferences (Q7 and Q25)

-ONDAY

4UESDAY

7EDNESDAY

4HURSDAY

&RIDAY

3ATURDAY

3UNDAY

NONE

     -435SERS .ON RIDERS

Both riders and non-riders expressed the most interest for extended service on Friday and Saturday nights. Thursday night ranked third, and the remaining days of the week roughly tied for MTS users. Extended late night service would not entice more than 40 percent of non-riders to try using the trolley.

53 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Question 8 and 26: Attractiveness of Late Night Service

A follow-up question asked the non-rider (Question 8) and MTS user (Question 26) how offering late night service would affect their ridership.

Figure 3.18: “If Trolley service were extended to midnight, what effect would it have on your use of the Trolley?” (Q8 and Q26)

7OULD DEFINITELYRIDE MORE

7OULD POSSIBLYRIDE MORE

.OEFFECT

      

-435SERS .ON RIDERS

Only slightly more than a fi fth of MTS users would defi nitely ride more if Trolley service were extended until midnight, but almost half would possibly ride more. Only about 3 percent of non-riders stated that they would defi nitely ride more (and nearly half would possibly ride more) if service were provid- ed later at night. Extending late night service is more of a draw to existing users than to non-riders.

Questions 9, 10 and 28, 29: Fees and Transit Passes

Respondents were asked if they would support an increase in student fees for providing all students with a semester transit pass, however a specifi c dollar amount for such an increase was not provided. Both MTS users and non-riders were mostly opposed to such a proposal. Non-riders were strongly op- posed, while MTS users were less opposed, but had more respondents unsure of their position than in support of such a proposal. However, about one-fi fth of students were willing to support the idea.

Figure 3.19: “Would you be willing to support an increase in student fees to provide all students with a semester transit pass?” (Q9 and Q28)

9ES

.O

.OT3URE

    

-435SERS .ON RIDERS

54 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

The follow-up question to this varied slightly between riders and non-riders. Non-riders were asked if they would use transit service if they were provided with a pass each semester. Riders were asked how their transit service use would be affected by all students being provided with semester passes.

1 .ON RIDERS7OULDYOUBELIKELYTOUSE 1 -435SERS)FALLSTUDENTSWEREPROVIDEDA TRANSITSERVICEIFYOUWEREPROVIDEDWITH TRANSITPASSEACHSEMESTER HOWWOULDTHIS APASSEACHSEMESTER EFFECTYOURUSEOFTRANSITSERVICE

9ES  .OEFFECT  .O  7OULDPOSSIBLYRIDEMORE  .OTSURE  7OULDDEFINITELYRIDEMORE 

60 percent of non-riders indicated that if they received a semester pass, they would be likely to use it. Nearly half of existing riders would not change their habits, but the other half would possibly or defi - nitely increase their transit use. This indicates that if a pass were provided, there is a good likelihood it would be well received, with 60 percent of students taking advantage of bus and trolley service.

Question 30: SDSU Respondent Demographics

The age distribution of MTS users and non-riders was fairly consistent. As could be expected in a survey of SDSU students, the majority of survey respondents were in the traditional college student age range, 18-24.

Figure 3.20: Age (Q30)

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55 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Question 31: Expected Year of Graduation

SDSU students entered the expected year of graduation. While transit users were mostly consistent with non-riders, there was a higher percentage of non-riders in the class of 2008.This may be due to the small sample size of non-riders surveyed.

Figure 3.21: Expected year of Graduation (Q31)













OTHER

UNKNOWN

       

!LL -435SERS .ON RIDERS

Question 32: Permanent Residence

Respondents were asked to provide the ZIP code of their permanent residence. The most common ZIP codes are listed in Appendix C, Table C.5.

Figure 3.22: Permanent Residence Locations of All Respondents

/UTSIDE3AN $IEGO#OUNTY 

#ITYOF 3AN$IEGO 

/THER3AN $IEGO2EGION  .#4$3ERVICE !REA  #ITYOF #ITYOF #ITYOF ,A-ESA %L#AJON 3ANTEE   

56 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

About 70 percent of students listed a San Diego County ZIP Code as their permanent residential area. Of the students whose permanent residences are in San Diego County, the geographic distribution is very similar to the current residence ZIP code distribution from the beginning of the survey. Most students either live within the ZIP codes closest to campus, or in Santee, east El Cajon, the beach communities, or National City.

Questions 37 and 38: Prize drawing and Contact Information

Nearly 97 percent of all survey respondents chose to enter the drawing to win prizes including an iPod, Spring Semester Transit Pass, or Starbucks coupon. Roughly the same number entered in their name and email address.

57

CHAPTER FOUR

GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS OF THE SDSU TRANSIT CENTER BUS PASSENGER COUNT

SANDAG conducted a count of bus boardings and alightings at the SDSU Transit Center for two weekdays in November 2005. In addition, San Diego Trolley conducted a turnstile count of trolley passengers at the SDSU trolley station on one of those days. The surveys found that almost 5,000 trips, or 2,500 more passengers use transit to access SDSU each day since the Green Line opened.

SDSU Transit Center is currently served by fi ve MTS bus routes (11, 13, 115, 936, and 955) as well as the Green Line Trolley. Prior to the opening of the Green Line, the center was also served by route (81), which was discontinued when the Green Line opened. Historical passenger boarding and alighting data for the period prior to the opening of the Green Line was obtained from the annual SANDAG Passenger Counting Program, using results from FY 2005 (which is the most recent year of results prior to the opening of the Green Line).

The bus passenger counts in November 2005 were conducted by a team of two counters who manu- ally recorded each passenger as they boarded or alighted. The bus counts were averaged across the two days and combined with the data collected from the trolley turnstile count and the SANDAG Passenger Counting Program to determine the number of new transit trips at SDSU.

Table 4.1: Results of the SDSU Transit Center Counts

!LIGHTINGS "OARDINGS 4OTAL 3$35"US#OUNTn.OVEMBER      3$35"US#OUNTn.OVEMBER       3$35"US#OUNTn!VERAGE       4ROLLEY4URNSTILE#OUNTn.OVEMBER       4ROLLEY0#0#OUNTSn/CTOBER       4ROLLEY0ASSENGER#OUNTn!VERAGE       3$354RANSIT#ENTER4OTAL      

Prior to the opening of the SDSU trolley station there were 2,241 bus boardings and alightings at the SDSU bus Transit Center (FY 2005 data). The counts undertaken in November 2005 found that there were a total of 7,900 boardings and alightings at the SDSU Trolley Station and bus Transit Center, or an increase of nearly 5,700 daily transit trips to and from SDSU.

61 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

The survey of trolley passengers found that about 13.4 percent, of passengers (or 800 trips) using the SDSU trolley station actually transferred to a bus, and were not destined to SDSU. It was not possible to determine how many SDSU Transit Center passengers transferred from one bus to another bus, however it is assumed that this activity would be about the same before and after the opening of the trolley station.

Eliminating the trolley to bus transfers still leaves more than 7,100 bus and trolley trips connected to SDSU. This is about 4,900 more trips than before the Green Line opened, or more than 2,400 pas- sengers. Based on typical auto occupancy rates this represents a decrease of about 2,000 cars per day at SDSU.

Table 4.2: Mode Change of Green Line Survey Respondents who selected SDSU Transit Center as a Trolley Trip End

Table 4.3: Boardings and Alightings by Bus Route – November 2005 (After the opening of the Green Line)

.OVEMBER .OVEMBER !VERAGE /FFS /NS /FFS /NS /FFS /NS 2OUTE       2OUTE       2OUTE       2OUTE       2OUTE       4OTAL           

Table 4.4: Boardings and Alightings by Bus Route – FY 2005 (Prior to the opening of the Green Line)

/FFS /NS 2OUTE   2OUTE   2OUTE   2OUTE   2OUTE   2OUTE   4OTAL   

62 APPENDICES

GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

APPENDIX A: GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION

2005 Green Line Trolley Survey

Welcome to the Green Line! SANDAG and MTS need your assistance to help improve trolley service. Over a four-day period, we will be handing out these surveys on the Green Line. Check a box or fill in the blanks. Thank you. Please fill out this form only ONCE during the se four days. Return survey before you get off the trolley. PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST 1. Where are you coming from ? 4. Where are you going? 1. Home 4. Shopping 1. Home 4. Shopping 2. Work 5. Recreation/visit friends 2. Work 5. Recreation/visit friends 3. School 6. Other (specify: ______) 3. School 6. Other (specify: ______) 2. At what station did you get on THIS trolley? 5. At what station will you get off THIS trolley ? ______Station: _ Station:______3. How did you get to THIS trolle y? 6. After you get off THIS trolley, will you … 1. Transferred from bus route______6. Drove a car 1. Transfer to bus route______6. Drive car 2. Transferred from another trolley 7. Was dropped off 2. Transfer to another trolley 7. Be picked up 3. Transferred from Coaster/Amtrak 8. Rode my bike 3. Transfer to Coaster/Amtrak 8. Ride my bike 4. Transferred from ADA Access 9. Took a Taxi 4. Transfer to ADA Access 9. Take a Taxi 5. Walked ______minutes 10. Other ______5. Walk ______minutes 10. Other ______

7. How did you make this trip before the Green 13. Your impressions of the Green Line: (circle one) Line started? NEW cars : Poor Excellen t 1. I did not make a trip similar to 6. I rode my bike a. Outside appearance 1 2 3 4 5 this before 7. I carpooled b. Inside appearance 1 2 3 4 5 2. I took a different trolley line 8. I was dropped off c. Seat comfort 1 2 3 4 5 3. I rode bus route______9. I used ADA Access d. Ride quality 1 2 3 4 5 4. I drove alone 10. Other ______e. Wheelchair ramp 1 2 3 4 5 5. I took a Taxi f. Overall impression 1 2 3 4 5 8. How did you pay to use the trolley today? NEW Stations: Poor Excellent 1. College pass (monthly/semester) 4. Transfer slip 2. Monthly pass 5. Day Pass g. Transit information 1 2 3 4 5 3. Cash (Ticket machine) 6. Other ______h. Trolley staff 1 2 3 4 5 9a. How often do you typically ride public 14. The Green Line hours of service: (Check all transit now? that apply) 1.______days per week 3. Less than once a month 1. Are suitable for me 3. Are not late enough 2. 1-3 days a month 2. Are not early enough

9b. How often did you typically ride public transit 15. Where do you usually get your transit a year ago? information? 1. Not at all 3. 1-3 days a month 1. 1-800-Commute 4. The Transit Store 2. ______days per week 4. Less than once a month 2. www.sdcommute.com 5. Other ______10. If the SDSU Station is your origin or destination, 3. www.sdsutrolley.com are you: 1. SDSU student 4. Faculty or Staff 16. Please tell us a little about yourself. Are you: 2. Student at other school 5. Live/Work in area 1. Male 2. Female 3. Extension Student 6. Visiting campus 17. Your age: 11. Did you use the wheelchair ramp or lift? 1. 18 or younger 4. 36 - 45 1. Yes 2. No 2. 19 - 25 5. 46 - 59 12. Why did you take the trolley today? 3. 26 - 35 6. 60 or older (check up to 3) 18. What is the ZIP Code where you live? ______1. Save natural resources 7. Cost of driving 2. Avoid traffic congestion 8. Don’t have car available 19. Any comments: ______3. More time to read, relax 9. Easier than driving ______4. Going with friends 10.Want to study 5. Avoid parking hassles 11.Faster than driving ______6. Faster than bus 12.Other ______

65 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

SPANISH LANGUAGE VERSION

Encuesta de la Línea Verde del Trolley

¡Bienvenido a la Línea Verde! SANDAG y MTS solicitan su amable colaboración para ayudarnos a mejorar el servicio del Trolley. Durante un período de cuatro días estaremos entregando estos cuestionarios en la Línea Verde. Marque un cuadrito o llene la línea en blanco. Muchas gracias por su cooperación. Por favor, sólo llene este formato UNA SOLA VEZ durante estos cuatro días. Entregue el cuestionario antes de que baje del trolley. FAVOR DE CONTESTAR ESTAS PREGUNTAS PRIMERO 1. ¿De dónde viene? 4. ¿A dónde se dirige? 1. De casa 4. De compras 1. A casa 4. De compras 2. Del trabajo 5. De paseo / de visitar amistades 2. Al trabajo 5. De paseo / visitar amistades 3. De la escuela 6. Otro (especificar:______) 3. A la escuela 6. Otro (especificar: ______) 2. ¿En qué estación abordó ESTE trolley? 5. ¿En qué es tación se bajará de ES TE trolley ? ______Estación: _ Estación:______3. ¿Cómo lleg ó a ES TE trolley? 6. Al bajarse de ESTE trol ley … 1. Transbordo de autobús ruta______6. Manejé auto 1. Transbordará a autobús ruta___ 6. Manejará auto 2. Transbordo de otro trolley 7. Me trajeron 2. Transbordará a otro trolley 7. Le recogerán 3. Transbordo de Coaster/Amtrak 8. Vine en bicicleta 3. Transbordará a Coaster/Amtrak 8. Manejará su bicicleta 4. Transbordo de acceso ADA 9. Tomé un taxi 4. Transbordará a acceso ADA 9. Tomará un taxi 5. Caminé ______minutos 10. Otro ______5. Caminará______minutos 10. Otro ______

7. ¿Cómo hacía usted este recorrido antes de que 13. Sus impresiones de la Línea Verde: (circule uno) se iniciara la Línea Verde? Coches NUEVOS: Malo Excelent e 1. No hacía recorrido similar 6. Manejaba mi bici a. Apariencia exterior 1 2 3 4 5 anteriormente 7. Compartía el auto b. Apariencia interior 1 2 3 4 5 2. Tomaba otra línea del trolley 8. Me traían c. Comodidad de asientos 1 2 3 4 5 3. Abordaba autobús ruta______9. Usaba acceso ADA d. Calidad del viaje 1 2 3 4 5 4. Manejaba solo 10. Otro:______e. Rampa p/ minusválidos 1 2 3 4 5 f. Impresión general 1 2 3 4 5 5. Tomaba un taxi Estaciones NUEVAS: 8. ¿Cómo pagó su pasaje del trolley hoy? 1. Pase estudiante (mes/semestre) 4. Boleto transbordo g. Información de tránsito 1 2 3 4 5 2. Pase mensual 5. Pase de un día h. Personal del trolley 1 2 3 4 5 3. Efectivo (máquina expendedora) 6. Otro ______14. El horario de servicio de la Línea Verde es… 9a. ¿Con qué frecuencia utiliza el transporte (Marque todas las que se apliquen) público hoy en día? 1. Adecuado para mí 3. Termina muy temprano 1. _____ días a la semana 3. Menos de una vez al mes de noche 2. 1-3 días al mes 2. Se inicia muy tarde por 4. Se inicia demasiado tarde 9b. ¿Con qué frecuencia utilizó el transporte público las mañanas y termina muy temprano hace un año? 15. Generalmente, ¿dónde obtiene su información 1. ___Nada en absoluto 3. 1-3 días por mes de tránsito? 2. ___ días por semana 4. Menos de una vez 1. 1-800-Commute 4. The Transit Store por mes 2. www.sdcommute.com 5. Otro ______10. Si la estación SDSU es su origen o destino, es: 3. www.sdsutrolley.com 1. Estudiante de SDSU 4. Maestro o empleado 16. Por favor, cuéntenos algo de usted. ¿Es usted: 2. Estudiante de otra escuela 5. Vive o trabaja cerca 1. Hombre 2. Mujer 3. Estudiante fuera horario 6. Está de visita normal 17. Su edad: 11. ¿Utilizó la rampa o elevador para minusválidos? 1. 18 o menos 4. 36 - 45 1. Si 2. No 2. 19 - 25 5. 46 – 59 12. ¿Por qué abordó usted el trolley hoy? 3. 26 - 35 6. 60 o mayor (marque hasta 3) 18. ¿Cual es el código postal (ZIP) donde vive? _____ 1. Ahorrar recursos naturales 7. Costo de manejar 2. Evitar el tráfico 8. No cuento con auto 19. ¿Algún comentario?: ______3. Tiempo de leer, descansar 9. Más fácil que manejar 4. Acompañar a amistades 10. Quiero estudiar ______5. Evitar problemas de 11. Más rápido que ______estacionamiento manejar 6. Más rápido que el autobús 12. Otro ______

66 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

APPENDIX B: SDSU TRANSIT USE ONLINE SURVEY

The SDSU Online Survey was promoted via the @State online newsletter, targeted at SDSU students, in the November 2005 issue. The newsletter was distributed via email on November 1, 2005, and was also made available on the @State web site:

http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/atstate/2005-11/index.html

The link to the survey was the second of six items under the heading “Connections” and read:

• Take the Green Line Trolley Survey (you could win an iPod!) more >>

Clicking on the link (from the email newsletter or web site) would direct the user to this page: http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/atstate/2005-11/connections2.html

The content on this page was:

TAKE THE MTS GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY FOR SDSU STUDENTS

Your chance to win an iPod or a spring trolley pass.

Let us know what you think about the MTS Trolley Green Line. We want to hear from those of you who are riding and from those of you who are not! It will only takes a few minutes to answer this survey and once you’ve completed it, you will be entered to win an iPod or a Spring MTS Trolley SDSU College Student Pass. (Only currently enrolled SDSU students are eligible).

Take the survey!

If you have any questions about the survey, please email: [email protected].

Thanks again for taking time to make San Diego’s MTS Trolley and Bus better.

“Take the Survey!” was the link to the surveymonkey web site that hosted the survey.

Here are the survey questions, possible responses, and other details from the online survey site. The questions were grouped into numbered sections, which may have been based on different pages to easily allow users to automatically bypass questions not relevant to their previous answers (ie, non- transit users could only answer questions designed for non-users, but not answer questions designed for users).

67 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

I. First Question

1. Where do you live now? On-Campus Housing Off-Campus Housing 2. What is your current ZIP code? 3. Have you ridden an MTS bus or trolley this school year? Yes No

II. For Non-Transit Riders

4. Why haven’t you ridden an MTS bus or trolley? Check up to three responses. I have a car I’m not sure how to use the bus or trolley I wouldn’t feel safe at a trolley station or bus stop I wouldn’t feel safe onboard a trolley or bus I don’t know where to go for bus and trolley information I live on campus and don’t need to go off campus Transit service doesn’t run late enough Transit service doesn’t run early enough Transit service doesn’t go where I need to go It takes too long I tried it before and didn’t like it Other (please specify) 5. Have you ever visited www.sdsutrolley.org? Yes No

III. SDCOMMUTE

6. Have you ever visited www.sdcommute.com? Yes No

7. MTS is considering extending Trolley service to SDSU from 10:30 p.m. until midnight on one or more nights. Check the nights you might require later service. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

8. If Trolley service were extended to midnight what effect would it have on your use of the Trolley? No effect Would consider riding the Trolley Would defi nitely ride the trolley

IV. Increase Fees Non-Rider

9. Would you be willing to support an increase in student fees to provide all students with a semester transit pass? Yes No Not Sure

68 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

10. Would you be likely to use transit service if you were provided with a pass each semester? Yes No Not Sure

V. Transit Riders

11. How have you used MTS bus or Trolley service? Check all that apply. Attend class at SDSU Attend special events at SDSU Shopping and entertainment off campus Attend Aztec game at Qualcomm Stadium Go to work Other (please specify)

VI. Transit Reasons

12. On a scale from 1 to 5 please rank the following reasons for your using MTS transit service, with 1 being the most important and 5 the least important. Save money on gas Save time for parking To help the environment Avoid Traffi c congestion Don’t have a car

13. Please list any other reasons you use transit. (three lines for text.)

VII. MTS Routes

14. Have you ridden MTS bus routes this school year? Yes No

VIII. Trolley Lines

15. Have you ridden the Trolley this school year? Yes No

IX. Coaster and AMTRAK

16. Have you ridden the Coaster? Yes No

17. Have you ridden AMTRAK? Yes No

18. Have you ridden North County Transit District (NCTD) bus routes? Yes No

69 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

X. Usually Ride

19. How often do you usually ride the MTS Bus and Trolley? One or more days per week 1-3 days per month Less than one day per month

XI. Fare Payment

20. How do you generally pay for your transit trips? College semester pass College monthly pass Day pass Cash Senior/Disabled discount cash fare Other (please specify)

21. Do you have a car available to you to make the trips you make on transit? Yes No Sometimes

22. Do you bring a bike with you when you ride the bus or trolley? Yes No Sometimes

XII. Transit Info

23. Where do you get your transit information? Check all that apply www.sdsutrolley.org www.sdcommute.com 1-800-COMMUTE Transit Store in Downtown San Diego SDSU information counter at Aztec Center Other (please specify)

XIII. Changes in Green Line Usage

24. How has your use of MTS bus or Trolley service changed since the Green Line Trolley began operation in July 2005? Ride More Ride Less About the Same

25. MTS is considering extending Trolley service to SDSU from 10:30 p.m. until midnight on one or more nights. Check the nights you might require later service. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday None

70 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

26. If Trolley service were extended to midnight what effect would it have on your use of the Trolley? No effect Would probably ride more Would defi nitely ride more

XIV. Please Rate

27. Please rate each of the following aspects of MTS Trolley and bus service. (Four choices were offered for each aspect: No opinion, Poor, Average, and Great) Trolley exterior Trolley interior Trolley operator Safety on Trolley Trolley Security Offi cer Trolley hours of service Trolley frequency of service Trolley wheelchair lift Trolley wheelchair ramp Bus exterior Bus interior Bus Driver Safety on bus Safety at bus stop Bus hour of service Bus frequency of service Bus wheelchair lift Transit information

XV. Student Fees

28. Would you be willing to support an increase in student fees to provide all students with a semester transit pass? Yes No Not Sure

29. If all students were provided a transit pass each semester how would this effect your use of transit service? No effect Would possibly ride more Would defi nitely ride more

XVI. For All Survey Respondents

30. Please check the category that includes your age 17 or younger 18 – 24 25 – 29 30 – 39 40 – 49 50 or over

71 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

31. What year will you graduate from SDSU?

32. What is your permanent residence ZIP code?

XVII. MTS Routes

33. Please list the MTS bus routes you use most often. (Respondents were given four text boxes to provide answers)

XVIII. Trolley Lines Ridden

34. Please indicate the Trolley lines you have ridden. Blue Line Orange Line Green Line

XIX. NCTD Routes Ridden

35. Please list the NCTD bus routes you use most often. (Respondents were given four text boxes to provide answers)

XX. Days per Week

36. How many days per week do you use transit?

XXI. Thank you page

37. Would you like to enter a drawing to win an iPod, Spring Semester Transit Pass, or Starbuck coupon? Yes No

XXII. IPOD Drawing

38. Please type your name and email address below. (Two text boxes were provided, one for Name and one for email address.)

72 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

APPENDIX C: ZIP CODE ANALYSIS FOR THE GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY AND SDSU ONLINE SURVEY

Green Line Survey respondents provided their ZIP Code Information in Question 18. These ZIP Codes were grouped by geographic areas, based on proximity to the Green Line. Communities correspond- ing to ZIP Codes within the City of San Diego that were roughly south of SR-52 and north of National City were maintained individually. East County cities and surrounding unincorporated communities were grouped by city or community name. All residents of the North County Transit District were grouped together. Residents from outside San Diego County were classifi ed as either coming from Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, or Imperial Counties, Other California, or Outside California. The top results of these groupings are listed in Table C.1. The top rankings purely by ZIP Code are shown in Table C.2. For a full list of ZIP Codes and their geographic categories, see Table C.5.

Table C.1: Geographic Composition of Green Line Passengers (Top 25)

Rank Area Percentage 1 El Cajon (92019, 92020, 92021) 11.87% 2 La Mesa (91941, 91942) 7.90% 3 San Diego - 92108 (Mission Valley) 7.90% South (National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, Otay Mesa, San 4 7.87% Ysidro) 5 San Diego - 92115 (College Area) 6.56% 6Santee (92071) 4.59% 7 San Diego - 92101 (Downtown) 4.59% 8 San Diego - 92120 (Del Cerro) 3.38% 9 San Diego - 92110 (Bay Park/Sports Arena) 3.00% 10 San Diego - 92105 (East San Diego) 2.97% 11 Outside California 2.86% 12 San Diego - 92107 (Ocean Beach) 2.80% 13 San Diego - 92111 (Linda Vista) 2.52% NCTD Service Area (Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Carlsbad, 14 2.52% Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Ramona, Valley Center, Fallbrook) 15 Lakeside (92040) 2.38% 16 San Diego - 92109 (Pacifi c Beach) 2.28% 17 Spring Valley (91977) 2.24% 18 San Diego - 92123 (Serra Mesa) 2.21% 19 San Diego - 92102 (South San Diego) 1.90% 20 San Diego - 92114 (Encanto) 1.90% 21 San Diego - 92116 (Normal Heights) 1.76% 22 San Diego - 92103 (Mission Hills) 1.73% 23 San Diego - 92117 (Clairemont) 1.48% 24 San Diego – 92119 (San Carlos) 1.38% 25 San Diego – 92104 (North Park) 1.35% All others 8.07%

73 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Table C.2: Most Frequent ZIP Codes of Green Line passengers (Top 25)

Per- ZIP Location cent 1 92108 San Diego (Mission Valley) 7.8% 2 92115 San Diego (College Area) 6.4% 3 92020 El Cajon (West) 5.6% 492071Santee 4.5% 591942La Mesa (North) 4.3% 6 92101 San Diego (Downtown 4.2% 7 92021 El Cajon (Northeast) 4.1% 891941La Mesa (South) 3.5% 9 92120 San Diego (Del Cerro) 3.3% 10 92105 San Diego (East San Diego) 2.9% 11 92110 San Diego (Bay Park/Sports Arena) 2.8% 12 92107 San Diego (Ocean Beach) 2.7% 13 92111 San Diego (Linda Vista/Kearny Mesa) 2.4% 14 92040 Lakeside 2.3% 15 92109 San Diego (Pacifi c Beach) 2.2% 16 91977 Spring Valley 2.2% 17 92123 San Diego (Serra Mesa) 2.2% 18 92019 El Cajon (Southeast) 1.9% 19 92114 San Diego (Encanto) 1.9% 20 92102 San Diego (South San Diego) 1.9% 21 92103 San Diego (Mission Hills) 1.7% 22 92116 San Diego (Normal Heights) 1.7% 23 91910 Chula Vista (North) 1.7% 24 92117 San Diego (Clairemont) 1.5% 25 92104 San Diego (North Park) 1.3% All others (includes the two groups below) 23.0% Outside San Diego County, but within California 1.2% Outside California 2.8%

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Table C.3: Geographic Groups by ZIP Codes used for Table C.1

Area Name ZIP Codes contained Coronado & North Island 92118, 92135, 92155 East 91901, 91905, 91917, 91934, 91935, 91978, 91980, 92070 El Cajon 92019, 92020, 92021, 92022 La Mesa 91941, 91942 NCTD Service Area (Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, 92003, 92007, 92008, 92009, 92010, 92011, 92013, 92024, Escondido, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del 92025, 92026, 92029, 92046, 92054, 92056, 92057, 92075, Mar, Ramona, Valley Center, Fallbrook) 92081, 92083, 92084, 92091, 92065, 92078, 92082 Lakeside 92040 Lemon Grove 91945, 91946 Poway 92064 San Diego – Mission Valley 92108 San Diego – College Area 92115 San Diego – Downtown 92101, 92112 San Diego – Del Cerro 92120 San Diego – Bay Park/Sports Arena 92110, 92137, 92138 San Diego – East San Diego 92105 San Diego - Pacifi c Beach 92109 San Diego – North Inland 92126, 92127, 92128, 92129, 92131 San Diego – North Coastal 92037, 92092, 92121, 92122, 92130 San Diego – Ocean Beach 92107 San Diego – Linda Vista 92111, 92171 San Diego - Serra Mesa 92123 San Diego - South San Diego 92102 San Diego - Encanto 92114 San Diego - Normal Heights 92116, 92176 San Diego - Mission Hills 92103 San Diego - Clairemont 92117 San Diego – San Carlos 92119, 92159 San Diego – North Park 92104 San Diego – East San Diego 92105 San Diego – Point Loma 92106 San Diego – Logan Heights 92113 San Diego – Tierrasanta 92124 Santee 92071, 92072 Spring Valley 91977 91902, 91909, 91910, 91911, 91912, 91913, 91914, 91915, South (National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, 91921, 91932, 91933, 91950, 92149, 92139, 92143, 92154, Otay Mesa, San Ysidro) 92173 All ZIP Codes within California, but outside San Diego California, but not San Diego County County. ZIP Codes for Imperial, Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside Counties were individually tallied. Outside California All ZIP Codes outside California

The Following tables show results from the SDSU Online Survey.

75 GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

Table C.4 shows the most frequent ZIP Codes identifi ed for Question 2 (Current ZIP Code) for all survey respondents, MTS users, and non-riders. They are ranked in order of frequency for all survey respondents. Also listed is that ZIP Code’s rank in the Green Line Survey (Table C.2) if it placed in the top 25.

Table C.4: Most Common Current Student ZIP Codes

Rank in Green MTS Us- Non-Rid- Line Sur- Rank ZIP Code Area All ers ers vey 1 92115 San Diego (College Area) 27.0% 27.7% 20.0% 2 2 92120 San Diego (Del Cerro) 6.8% 6.4% 11.4% 9 3 92108 San Diego (Mission Valley) 6.3% 6.6% 2.9% 1 491941La Mesa (South)3.7%3.8%2.9%8 5 92071 Santee 2.6% 2.9% 0.0% 4 6 92109 San Diego (Pacifi c Beach) 2.6% 2.9% 0.0% 15 791942La Mesa (North)2.4%2.6%0.0%5 8 91950 National City 2.4% 2.3% 2.9% -- 9 92107 San Diego (Ocean Beach) 2.4% 2.0% 5.7% 12 10 92021 El Cajon (Northeast) 2.1% 2.3% 0.0% 7 San Diego (Bay Park/Sports 11 92110 2.1% 2.0% 2.9% 11 Arena) San Diego (Linda Vista/ 12 92111 2.1% 1.7% 5.7% 13 Kearny Mesa) 13 92019 El Cajon (Southeast) 1.8% 2.0% 0.0% 18 14 92122 San Diego (University City) 1.8% 1.4% 5.7% -- 15 92154 San Diego (Otay Mesa) 1.8% 1.7% 2.9% -- 16 92020 El Cajon (West) 1.6% 1.7% 0.0% 3 17 92104 San Diego (North Park) 1.6% 1.4% 2.9% 25 18 92105 San Diego (East San Diego) 1.6% 1.7% 0.0% 10 19 92114 San Diego (Encanto) 1.6% 1.4% 2.9% 19 20 91910 Chula Vista (North) 1.3% 1.2% 2.9% -- 21 92116 San Diego (Normal Heights) 1.3% 1.4% 0.0% 22 22 92123 San Diego (Serra Mesa) 1.3% 1.2% 2.9% 17 San Diego (Rancho Penasqui- 23 92129 1.3% 1.4% 0.0% -- tos) 24 91911 Chula Vista (South) 1.0% 0.9% 2.9% -- 25 92103 San Diego (Mission Hills) 1.0% 1.2% 0.0% 21 All Others 18.4% 17.9% 22.9%

Table C.5 lists the most common ZIP Codes identifi ed as permanent residences for the students sur- veyed in Question 32. 372 Students provided valid postal codes. Codes corresponding to locations outside San Diego County were classifi ed as California, outside of California and outside the United States.

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Table C.5: Most Common Permanent Residence ZIP Codes

MTS Non- ZIP Code Area All Users riders California, but outside San Diego 1 County 25.5% 26.1% 20.0% 2 92115 San Diego (College Area) 8.1% 8.6% 5.7% 3 92108 San Diego (Mission Valley) 4.0% 4.2% 2.9% 4 92120 San Diego (Del Cerro) 3.2% 2.7% 8.6% 5 91941 La Mesa (South) 3.0% 3.0% 2.9% 692071 Santee 2.7% 3.0% 791950 National City 2.4% 2.4% 2.9% 8 92107 San Diego (Ocean Beach) 2.4% 2.1% 5.7% 992109San Diego (Pacifi c Beach) 2.2% 2.4% 10 92111 San Diego (Linda Vista/Kearny Mesa) 2.2% 2.1% 2.9% 11 92021 El Cajon (Northeast) 1.9% 2.1% 12 92154 San Diego (Otay Mesa) 1.9% 1.8% 2.9% 13 United States, but outside California 1.9% 2.1% 14 91942 La Mesa (North) 1.6% 1.5% 2.9% 15 92020 El Cajon (West) 1.6% 1.8% 16 92105 San Diego (East San Diego) 1.6% 1.8% 17 92114 San Diego (Encanto) 1.6% 1.5% 2.9% 18 92122 San Diego (University City) 1.6% 1.2% 5.7% 19 91910 Chula Vista (North) 1.3% 1.2% 2.9% 20 91911 Chula Vista (South) 1.3% 1.2% 2.9% 21 92104 San Diego (North Park) 1.3% 1.2% 2.9% 22 92110 San Diego (Bay Park/Sports Arena) 1.3% 1.5% 23 92129 San Diego (Rancho Penasquitos) 1.3% 1.5% All Others 23.9% 23.4% 25.7%

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GREEN LINE TROLLEY SURVEY

APPENDIX D: ANALYSIS OF STATION TO STATION TRAVEL FROM THE GREEN LINE SURVEY

In addition to determining which stations were the most frequently used for boardings and alight- ings, an evaluation of the different trips was made. For the purposes of this analysis, each station pair includes trips going in both directions (from A to B and from B to A). Of the more than 170 possible pairings between stations, seventeen different pairs compose nearly 60% of trips taken. The most frequent trips taken on the Green Line closely match the most frequently used stations. Of the top seventeen trips, only one does not use Old Town or SDSU Station in the pairing (El Cajon – Santee). It is important to note that Old Town Transit Center is primarily a transfer point (to the Blue Line or buses) while SDSU Station is primarily a trip end. The only trip that provided more than 2% of all trips and was between adjacent stations was the Grantville – SDSU pair.

Figure D.1: Most Frequent Trips Taken by Green Line Users (Q2 and Q5)

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