Westport Launches Public Transportation Survey

WESTPORT, CT — The Westport Transit District has launched a town-wide survey to help it better understand the evolving nature of the town's public transportation needs.

The Westport Transit District (“WTD”) provides public transportation in the town with minibuses operated under subcontract with the Norwalk Transit District. Services include commuter shuttles operating to and from Saugatuck and Greens Farms rail stations, and daytime Door-to-Door transportation for seniors and citizens with disabilities.

To improve its understanding of evolving transportation preferences and citizen attitudes about public transportation, the WTD commissioned Beresford Research, a Westport-based market research firm, to develop and field a survey with four primary objectives:

(1) Quantify the level of satisfaction with the WTD services;

(2) Measure awareness of the WTD services;

(3) Provide insights to help increase ridership; and

(4) Measure the perceived importance of WTD services to the community.

"Over the last few months, WTD Directors Marty Fox and Patsy Cimarosa worked with Beresford Research to develop customized versions of the survey questionnaire for Westport residents, Saugatuck and Greens Farms train riders, commuter shuttle users and local employees," officials wrote in a statement. "Today, First Selectman Jim Marpe sent an email inviting participation in the brief, anonymous online survey. This invitation is being complemented by postcards containing QR codes distributed to commuter shuttle riders by the drivers. Invitations to local employees will be coordinated by the Westport Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Merchants Association."

Added Fox, "We are very eager to hear citizen and local employee perspectives on our services and public transportation in Westport."

The Vine Room and 323 Restaurant have offered $100 gift certificates as an incentive to participate. Two fortunate survey respondents will be selected at random in mid-November, and the district thanks the Vine Room and 323 for their generosity and support of this town-wide initiative.

The survey period began yesterday, Nov. 4, and the results will be available to the WTD in December. Beresford Research will manage the data collection process, analyze the tabulated results, present the findings to the WTD, and select the winners of the restaurant gift certificates.

For further information about the WTD town-wide survey initiative, please contact Julien Beresford at (203) 226-6997, WTD Director Marty Fox at (917) 612-6982 or WTD Director Patsy Cimarosa at (203) 226-4813.

For more information, visit the following link: http://www.norwalktransit.com/westport_cr.htm

Image via Norwalk Transit District