The document summarizes the results of a commuter survey of 171 employees who commute to work in Devens, Massachusetts. It finds that most employees (162) drive alone to work either 5 days a week (130 employees) or 4 days a week (28 employees). Only 5 employees carpool to work 4-5 days a week, and public transit is used infrequently, with 1 employee taking it 2, 4, or 5 days a week. When asked what would encourage taking public transit to work, reduced fare or parking costs were popular choices. Most employees expressed interest in the upcoming improved Fitchburg Commuter Rail service but noted schedule or connection limitations.
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MassRides - Melissa Santley - MAGIC Transportation Forum
2. MassRIDES
Statewide Travel Options Program
325+ partner organizations
465,000+ commuters
Worksite focus commute travel
Worksite services
Implement commute options
programs
Custom program development and
implementation
Marketing and on-site events
Tools and resources
3. Devens Area Commuter Survey
Distributed through Nashoba
Valley Chamber of Commerce
and Bristol-Myers Squibb
171 Responses from people who
commute to work in Devens
Focus on how they currently get
to work
Interest in taking another mode to
work (carpool, vanpool, public
transit, etc.)
Motivating factors for taking
public transit to work
Likelihood of taking Fitchburg
Commuter Line once service
increases
4. Weekly Commute Modes
# of Commuters Driving Alone # of Commuters Carpooling
Drive Alone Commute:
130 Commuters drove alone to
work 5 days per week. 28
drove alone to work 4 days per
week and 4 commuters drove
alone 3 times per week.
Carpool Commute:
Only 5 people responded to
carpooling to work 4 or 5 days
each week.
# of Commuters taking Public Transit
Public Transit Commute:
Three people commute by
public transit once a week.
There is one person commuting
to work 2, 4 and 5 times a week
by public transit
# Days Per Week
# Days Per Week # Days Per Week
7. Improving Commuter Options
What would encourage you to take public transit
to work?
Count of how many times a motivating factor was
chosen
8. Improving Commuter Options
By January 2016, the MBTA will have finished all construction on the
Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line that will result in improved and increased
service to the line. Once this work is complete and if local service was
provided to get you from the commuter rail stop to your worksite, would you
consider taking public transit to work?
9. Improving Commuter Options
If the MBTA were to pilot a new schedule for increased service on the
Fitchburg Commuter Line by January 2015, would you try this new service?
10. Improving Commuter Options
Any suggestions or comments for getting to work on the
Fitchburg Commuter Line?
I live close to a commuter rail station in the city and would absolutely use rail if the
train schedule and connecting service to the plant would allow me to arrive by 8am.
I live so close to work that public transportation is not an option. However, I would
like to be able to get to Boston on weekends and evenings on a more frequent basis.
Fitchburg Commuter Line is not an option for myself.
I don't really have access to the Fitchburg commuter line from Chelmsford, but if I
lived on the Fitchburg Line I would absolutely consider it. Still, the closest station is 2
miles from my work so I would need to be allowed to take a bike onto the rail, and I
would probably not do it during the winter.
I would consider using the commuter line but my commute is a reverse commute. I
would need to be able to take the line in the morning from Weston or Waltham out to
Devens and home in the evening. Currently the commuter line schedule does not
allow for this. I would also like to be able to bring my bike on the commuter line so
that I could ride to the station on either side of the train ride.
#4: Working with partners BMS, NVCOC and MassDevelopment to get commuting data of current Devens employees and their likelihood of taking commuter rail once service increases. I have opened up the survey to our partners IBM and Juniper and will have their data to add to the overall results shortly. The intent of this survey is to get a bigger picture of the commuting options that employees are interested in taking to the Minuteman region, including the commuter rail and what motivating factors would encourage them to take alternative commute options. Use BMS and vanpool example
#5: From the survey, I pulled out the most common commute modes that people take to work. Each graph represents a different commuter mode and how many times each person uses that mode per week. For example, 130 Commuters drive alone to work 5 days out of a typical 5 day work-week.
#6: Count of top 7 shift start times and top 4 shift end times. Average shift start time of all respondents is 8:25am
#7: One question in the survey asked commuters what other commute options are of interest to them. 133 people responded out of the total 171 responses. This could be interpreted that 78% of all survey respondents are interested in taking another commute to work besides driving alone.
#8: This question had respondents check off which options would encourage them to take public transit to work. A total of 162 respondents answered this question and they checked off more than one answer.
#9: In answer to this survey question, 167 people responded
#10: In answer to this survey question, 167 people responded
#11: One of the last questions of the survey asked for any suggestions or comments for getting to work in the Fitchburg Commuter Line. Here are a few anecdotes to end the presentation. If anyone is interested in seeing the raw survey results, please connect with me after the meeting and I will happily send you the spreadsheet.