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B-1 A P P E N D I X B Simplified Survey Hello, I am writing to request an appointment by telephone with a member of your staff about the Section 5311(f) services operated by Rimrock Trailways. The KFH Group is currently conducting Project B-37, Estimation of Demand for Rural Intercity Services, for the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). The goal of this project is to create a model for estimating demand for rural public transit service that connects with intercity private carriers (such as Greyhound or Amtrak), based on characteristics of the service area, operations, and connectivity with local public transportation. The research for this project includes conducting surveys of rural intercity projects funded under the Section 5311(f) program to get details on the nature of the project, including service characteristics, service area, ticketing and information, ridership (including trends), and forecasting methods used to plan the services. More information is available online at http://www.trb.org/TRBNet/ProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=1591. I understand through the Montana Department of Transportation that some of Rimrock Trailways services are funded under the Section 5311(f) program. Routes funded under this program are the focus of this research, and it would be very helpful for our study if we could find out more about this service. We would like to interview the appropriate member of your staff by telephone to gather responses to the following questions: 1. Where does the 5311(f) route stop (towns and specific stop locations)? 2. Which days of the week does it operate? 3. What is the daily schedule? 4. Are there any seasonal variations? 5. Are advanced reservations required for any of the stops?
B-2 8. What are the major travel destinations along the route? (Examples include military base, college/university, job corps center, regional hospital, tourist destination, commercial airport, passenger rail station, major employer, major retail) 9. What kinds of vehicles are operated on the route? (Please indicate seating/wheelchair capacity, baggage storage area, bicycle rack, other amenities) 10. Please indicate or estimate ridership data. (for each year funded by 5311(f) if actual counts are available, or estimated boarding by day, week, or month) 11. Have you observed any seasonal variations in ridership? 12. Have there been any significant changes to this route since the 5311(f) funding began? 13. How is the timetable and other service information made available to the public? (website, brochure, advertisements, etc.) Could you let me know who to contact to schedule an interview, which will take approximately 30 minutes? I would be happy to call at a time that is convenient for your organization. If you have questions about the interview or would like more information on this study for TCRP, please contact me at (206) 448-6749 or bhamby@kfhgroup.com. In addition, you are welcome to contact Fred Fravel, Principal Investigator for the project, at 301- 951-8660 or ffravel@kfhgroup.com. Thank you in advance for your assistance. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Best regards, Beth Hamby Senior Transportation Planner KFH Group - Seattle office 2019 3rd Ave., Suite 110 Seattle, WA 98121 206-448-6749 www.kfhgroup.com 6. What are the fare levels? 7. Are fares or schedules interlined with other transportation services (such as Greyhound or a local transit system)?
