National Academies Press: OpenBook

Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation (2012)

Chapter: Appendix B - Survey

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Page 48
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Survey." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14666.
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Page 49
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Survey." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14666.
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Page 50
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Survey." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14666.
×
Page 50
Page 51
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Survey." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14666.
×
Page 51
Page 52
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Survey." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14666.
×
Page 52
Page 53
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Survey." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14666.
×
Page 53
Page 54
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Survey." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14666.
×
Page 54
Page 55
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Survey." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14666.
×
Page 55
Page 56
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Survey." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14666.
×
Page 56
Page 57
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B - Survey." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14666.
×
Page 57

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49 Appendix B Survey AGENCY OVERVIEW Contact information First Name: ____________________________________________ Last Name: ____________________________________________ Title: ____________________________________________ Agency Name: ____________________________________________ Street Address: ____________________________________________ Apt./Suite/Office: ____________________________________________ City: ____________________________________________ State/Province: ____________________________________________ Postal Code: ____________________________________________ Country: ____________________________________________ Phone Number: ____________________________________________ E-mail Address: ___________________________________________ Fax Number: ____________________________________________ Mobile Phone: ____________________________________________ Website: ____________________________________________ 2. 1. Describe your agency’s service area. ( ) Large urbanized area (population over 200,000) ( ) Small urbanized area (population 50,000–200,000) ( ) Rural or non-urbanized area (population under 50,000) 3. Which modes does your agency either directly operate or operate using a contractor? Check all that apply. [ ] Bus/trolleybus [ ] Heavy rail/subway [ ] Bus rapid transit [ ] Light rail/streetcar [ ] Commuter rail [ ] Demand response [ ] Vanpool [ ] Ferry [ ] Other:

50 4. What was your agency’s total ridership for the most recent year? Indicate annual unlinked trips and specify the year. Annual unlinked trips Year 2010 2009 Agency ridership ___ ( ) ( ) 5. What social media applications does your agency use? Check all that apply. [ ] Agency blog [ ] Facebook [ ] Twitter [ ] YouTube [ ] MySpace [ ] Flickr [ ] LinkedIn [ ] Foursquare [ ] GoWalla [ ] SecondLife [ ] Other (specify): 6. Indicate the type of information your agency provides and the social media application(s) used for each. Check all that apply. Blog Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn N/A Service info (static) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Service alerts (real- time) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] M eeting and event notices [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Agency news [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Other news [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Job listings [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Press releases and statements [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Contests and promotions [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Feature stories [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Public hearing comments [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Other (specify below) [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] List other types of content and identify the application(s) used. ________________________________________________________________________ SOCIAL MEDIA APPLICATIONS

51 7. How often does your agency update the following? Once a day A few times a week Once a week More than once a day A few times a month Once a month or less N/A Service info (static) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Service alerts (real- time) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Meeting and event notices ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Agency news ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Other news ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Job listings ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Press releases and statements ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Contests and promotions ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Feature stories ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Public hearing comments ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Other (specify below) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) List other types of content and indicate frequency for updates. ________________________________________________________________________ 8. Who is responsible for generating content? Check all that apply. [ ] Senior management [ ] Marketing/communications staff [ ] Information technology staff [ ] Administrative staff [ ] Planning staff [ ] Operations/maintenance staff [ ] Customer service staff [ ] Intern [ ] Volunteer [ ] Consultant [ ] Automated [ ] Other (specify):

52 9. Following are some commonly identified goals for using social media. Indicate how important each goal was to your agency’s decision to use social media. Not important at all Slightly important Important Very important Not Applicable Communicate with current riders ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Distribute general information (static) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Distribute real-time service information ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Improve customer satisfaction ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Improve agency image ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Strengthen community support ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Recruit and keep staff ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Increase ridership ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Obtain feedback on projects ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Reach potential riders ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Save money ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Other (specify below) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Describe other agency goals for using social media and indicate their importance. ______________________________________________________________________________ 10. Indicate how effective your agency’s social media activities were in achieving each of the following goals. Not effective at all Slightly effective Effective Very effective Not Applicable Communicate with riders ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Distribute general information (static) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Distribute real-time service information ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Improve customer satisfaction ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Improve agency image ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Strengthen community support ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Recruit and keep staff ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Increase ridership ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Obtain feedback on projects ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Reach potential riders ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Save money ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Other (specify below) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Describe the effectiveness of social media in achieving other agency goals. ________________________________________________________________________ AGENCY CONSIDERATIONS

53 11. How does your agency evaluate the effectiveness of its social media activities? Check all that apply. [ ] Track application statistics (e.g., followers, subscribers, fans) [ ] Use third-party statistics (e.g., Google Analytics) [ ] Conduct surveys [ ] Informal feedback [ ] No evaluation [ ] Don’t know [ ] Other (specify): 13. Which social media applications does your agency use to reach the following groups? Check all that apply. Blog Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn N/A Everyday riders [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Students [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Young adults [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Seniors/older Americans [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] People with disabilities [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Low-income communities [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Minorities [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Tribal communities [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Agency employees [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] External stakeholders [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] 14. How effective are your agency’s social media activities in reaching the following groups? Rate effectiveness Describe your experience Not effective at all Slightly effective Effective Very effective Not applicable Everyday riders ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Students ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Young adults ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Seniors/older Americans ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ People with disabilities ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Low-income communities ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Minorities ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Tribal communities ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Agency employees ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ External stakeholders ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

54 15. Are your agency’s social media activities integrated with other agency activities and/or information distribution platforms, like real-time alerts or service advisories? Check all that apply. [ ] Marketing and communications plan [ ] 511 (traveler information) [ ] 311 (citizen information) [ ] 211 (human services information) [ ] Real-time arrival alerts [ ] Service advisories [ ] Other (specify): 16. Does your agency have a social media policy? ( ) Yes ( ) No ( ) In development ( ) Don’t know 18. Following are some commonly identified barriers to using social media. Indicate how important each factor was in your agency’s decision to use social media. Not important at all Slightly important Important Very important Not Applicable Social media apps require support from IT staff ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Posting updates takes too much time ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Traditional communications methods are the best way to reach our riders ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Social media exposes our agency to computer viruses ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Agency managers did not see the benefits of social media ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) People with disabilities cannot access social media ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Our riders do not have access to technology ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Seniors do not use social media ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) People will use social media to criticize my agency ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTATION 17. If possible, please upload a copy of your agency’s social media policy.

55 Staff will waste time updating their personal pages ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Using social media creates concerns about user privacy ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) There’s no good way to archive social media posts ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Social media is not a good way to reach minorities ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) No staff available to manage social media activities ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) 19. Identify any other barriers your agency identified when considering use of social media. ________________________________________________________________________ 20. Are your agency’s social media sites accessible to people with disabilities? ( ) Yes, completely accessible ( ) Partially accessible ( ) No, not accessible ( ) Don’t know 21. What accessibility features does your agency use? Check all that apply. [ ] Provide captions and text descriptions for photos and images [ ] Provide captions for videos [ ] Use audio CAPTCHA feature [ ] Use accessible Twitter [ ] None [ ] Other: 22. Has your agency encountered cyber-security issues because of its use of social media? ( ) Yes ( ) No ( ) Don’t know 23. If yes, what issues did your agency encounter and what actions did your agency take to address them? ________________________________________________________________________ 24. Is your agency required to archive social media posts and communications? ( ) Yes ( ) No ( ) Don’t know

56 25. If yes, describe how your agency archives messages. Indicate technology used (if any), how long messages are saved, and relevant legal or regulatory references. ________________________________________________________________________ 26. How has your agency addressed other barriers to using social media identified in this section? These may include concerns about negative publicity, allowing employee access to social media sites, and addressing a digital divide. ________________________________________________________________________ 27. While social media applications are usually free of charge, setting up and maintaining them can incur costs to agencies. If known, estimate the number of labor hours that individuals in the following categories spend on social media activities each month. _______Senior management _______Marketing and communications _______Information technology _______Administration _______Planning _______Operations/Maintenance _______Customer service _______Legal/Procurement _______Human resources/Training _______Intern _______Consultant _______Other (specify): 28. If known, estimate costs in dollars to create and to support your agency’s social media applications. Initial Costs (start-up) On-going costs (annual) N/A N/A Software ___ [ ] ___ [ ] Staff ___ [ ] ___ [ ] Training ___ [ ] ___ [ ] Licenses ___ [ ] ___ [ ] Hardware ___ [ ] ___ [ ] Consulting ___ [ ] ___ [ ] Other ___ [ ] ___ [ ] AGENCY COSTS AND RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS

57 29. Has your agency considered any potential revenue streams from social media applications? Check all that apply. [ ] Advertisements [ ] Location-based advertisements [ ] Partnerships with outside organizations [ ] Other (specify): [ ] None [ ] Don’t know 30. Please describe any lessons learned that would benefit other transit agencies using social media. ________________________________________________________________________ 31. What developments in social media do you or your agency anticipate over the next few years? ________________________________________________________________________ THANK YOU! Thank you for completing this survey and contributing to this important research. LOOKING AHEAD

Abbreviations used without definitions in TRB publications: AAAE American Association of Airport Executives AASHO American Association of State Highway Officials AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ACI–NA Airports Council International–North America ACRP Airport Cooperative Research Program ADA Americans with Disabilities Act APTA American Public Transportation Association ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials ATA American Trucking Associations CTAA Community Transportation Association of America CTBSSP Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program DHS Department of Homeland Security DOE Department of Energy EPA Environmental Protection Agency FAA Federal Aviation Administration FHWA Federal Highway Administration FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FRA Federal Railroad Administration FTA Federal Transit Administration HMCRP Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ISTEA Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 ITE Institute of Transportation Engineers NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASAO National Association of State Aviation Officials NCFRP National Cooperative Freight Research Program NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NTSB National Transportation Safety Board PHMSA Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration RITA Research and Innovative Technology Administration SAE Society of Automotive Engineers SAFETEA-LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (2005) TCRP Transit Cooperative Research Program TEA-21 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (1998) TRB Transportation Research Board TSA Transportation Security Administration U.S.DOT United States Department of Transportation

Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation Get This Book
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TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis 99: Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation explores the use of social media among transit agencies and documents successful practices in the United States and Canada.

For the purposes of the report, social media are defined as a group of web-based applications that encourage users to interact with one another, such as blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Foursquare, and MySpace.

An eReader friendly PDF version of TCRP Synthesis 99 is also available.

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