Intercity Bus Community Survey
Introduction

The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) is conducting a statewide intercity bus study.  SDDOT provides financial support for intercity bus services operated by Jefferson Lines and several local transit agencies with the goal of maintaining and improving statewide mobility. The information collected in this survey will help SDDOT identify underserved corridors and needed intercity bus service improvements.

This survey aims to understand your needs for intercity travel. If you have questions please contact Fred Fravel (ffravel@kfhgroup.com) or James McGuire(Jmcguire@kfhgroup.com).

For more information about intercity bus services in South Dakota, click on this link: https://dot.sd.gov/projects-studies/projects/public-meetings#listItemLink_1938
Travel Needs

The following questions will help us understand your intercity travel needs.

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* 1. Which city/town do you live in?

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* 2. What towns/cities outside of your home county are final destinations for long-distance trips? 

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* 3. Have you or any other adult in your household traveled at least 50 miles or more (one way) in the past 12 months?

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* 4. When you or someone in your household thinks about making trips that are 50 miles or more one-way, what modes of transportation come to mind?  (Check all that apply)

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* 5. For the long distance trips you or someone in your household have made, using one or more of the above modes, what cities were the final destinations for each of your trips? (This question allows multiple answers)

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* 6. When you make a long-distance trip, what is the purpose?

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* 7. Which of these modes have you or someone in your household used for intercity travel in the past 12 months?  (Check all the apply)

Preferences - Importance of Factors

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* 8. Thinking about going to the places you want to travel in the continental U.S. that are 50 miles or more away, please rate the following traits, using a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means it is not important to you and 10 means it is important when selecting a method of intercity travel.

  0 - Not Important 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 - Very Important
Schedule Information
Ease of purchasing a ticket
Scheduling flexibility
Ease of travel to station/stop
Boarding Process
On-time departure
Driver friendliness/professionalism
Assistance with mobility devices/boarding
Frequency of service
Ease of transferring/changing vehicles
Accessibility for people with special needs
Cleanliness of bus
Safety on the bus
Heating/Air-conditioning
Availability of on-board Wi-Fi
Availability of electrical outlets
Availability of luggage space
Stop Location
Cleanliness of stop locations
Quality of amenities at stops/terminals
Availability of long-term parking
Bus Travel

These next few questions are about intercity bus travel. Jefferson Bus Lines and Greyhound Lines are examples of intercity bus service.

Intercity bus services are defined by the following characteristics:
  • Regularly scheduled bus service, available for the general public.
  • Limited stop service, connecting two or more urban areas that are not in close proximity.
  • Provide space for transporting baggage carried by passengers.
  • Make meaningful connections with other intercity bus services* to more distant points.
*Intercity buses may also provide connections to passenger rail service, airports, and local transit.

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* 9. How often do you travel on intercity buses?  (Check one)

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* 10. When you decided to take an intercity bus trip, what was the reason for using this mode rather than some other means of transportation?  (Check all the apply)

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* 11. What was the primary purpose of your most recent intercity bus trip?  (Check one)

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* 12. How many miles is your home from the most convenient intercity bus terminal or stop? (Check one)

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* 13. How likely would you be to consider traveling on an intercity bus in the future? Would you say you…?

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* 14. How likely would you be to recommend each of the following to a friend or family member on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means not at all likely and 10 means very likely?

  0 - Not at all likely 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 - Very likely
Jefferson Lines Bus
Greyhound Lines
Amtrak
Local Transit Provider
Charter or group tour bus

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* 15. What would make you more likely to consider traveling on an intercity bus in the future? (Are there places that you would like to be able to take a bus to? Or would more frequent routes or different travel times help?)

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* 16. Can you think of three things that you would do to improve intercity bus service in South Dakota?

Demographics
Please tell us a little about yourself for demographic purposes. We will not share your individual response. The information you provide will be summarized to describe the general characteristics of all respondents that completed this survey.

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* 17. How many motor vehicles are available for regular use by members of your household, including yourself?  (This can include cars, vans, motorcycles, etc. Please check one)

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* 18. Do you have a valid driver’s license?

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* 19. Please check your age group:

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* 20. What is your employment status?

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* 21. What is your estimated annual household income? 

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* 22. If a language other than English, how well do you speak English?

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* 23. What language do you prefer to speak at home?

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* 24. Are you of Hispanic or Latino descent?

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* 25. Which of the following best describes your race?

Thank you for your input!

Fred Fravel
KFH Group, Inc.
7200 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 320
Bethesda, MD  20814
Ffravel@kfhgroup.com
(301) 951-8660

 

Title VI: Statement of Nondiscrimination: The South Dakota Department of Transportation provides services without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age or disability, according to the provisions contained in SDCL 20-13, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, 1994.

Any person who has questions concerning this policy or wishes to file a discrimination complaint should contact the Department’s Civil Rights Office at 605-773-3540.



Section 5311(f) funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is intended to support intercity bus services that connect rural areas (population under 50,000, outside of designated Urbanized Areas) to the national intercity bus network.

Intercity Bus Service means regularly scheduled bus service for the general public that operates with limited stops over fixed routes connecting two or more urban areas not in close proximity, that has the capacity for transporting baggage carried by passengers, and that makes meaningful connections with scheduled intercity bus service to more distant points, if such service is available.

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