Vol. 1, No. 2
September 2001

Contents

A Word from the Editors

President Bush's Budget Shows Strong Commitment to Integrating Americans With Disabilities Into the Workforce and Community

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mineta Signs Accessibility Policy Statement

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Impaired Driving Program

Omnibus Household Survey Program

About M. Davis and Company

A Word from the Editors

Today's environment requires both public and private sector executives to make significant decisions in a timely manner, using the best market research information available. Decision makers must have high returns on the information provided. It is our aim at M. Davis and Company, Inc., to provide transportation industry executives a product - high return on information (ROInfo™) - that most effectively identifies challenges facing their organizations and best solutions to those challenges.

ROInfo™ through the use of a range of research methods and techniques, program designs and monitoring tools, provides clients with critical information in real time. This timely presentation of critical performance information, improves executive decision making and organizational performance.

We hope to use this newsletter to highlight for transportation industry executives some of the current research, key findings, initiatives and best practices in the industry. We welcome your comments.

President Bush's Budget Shows Strong Commitment to Integrating Americans With Disabilities Into the Workforce and Community

Earlier this year, President Bush unveiled his New Freedom initiative, a comprehensive set of proposals to fulfill America's promise to the 54 million Americans with disabilities.

The New Freedom Initiative will help Americans with disabilities increase access to innovative new technologies that help them participate fully in society, expand their educational opportunities, better integrate them into the workforce, and promote their full access to community life.

The President's budget plan backs up the New Freedom Initiative with more $8.6 billion in funding in FY 2002 alone.

Among the key proposals receiving funding in the President's budget:

• $100 million in competitive matching grants to promote access to alternative transportation methods for people with disabilities through community-based and other local providers.
  
  
• $45 million to fund 10 pilot programs to develop innovative transportation programs to serve people with disabilities.
  
  
• $40 million in federal matching funds to states to finance low-interest loans to help people with disabilities to purchase needed assistive technologies.
  
  
• $20 million in federal matching funds to help organizations that are currently exempt from the ADA, such as churches, mosques, synagogues, and civic organizations to help make their facilities accessible to individuals with disabilities.
  
  
• $20 million for the Access to Telework Fund to provide federal matching funds to states to guarantee low-interest loans for individuals with disabilities to purchase computers and other equipment necessary to telework from home.
  
  
• $20 million for Rehabilitative Engineering Research Centers which conduct some of the nation's most innovative assistive technology research and help bring assistive technology to the market.

Link for the Article: www.access.org/letter-access-new-freedom-initiative- budget.html

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, on July 26, 2001, marked the 11th anniversary of the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA), by urging passage of President Bush's New Freedom Initiative, which provides $145 million to fund transportation initiatives.

Secretary Mineta continued his commitment to increasing mobility for all Americans, particularly those with disabilities, by signing the Department of Transportation's new Accessibility Policy Statement.

Link to new policy statement: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/policystmt.htm

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Impaired Driving Program

As part of NHTSA's continuing efforts to support adoption of .08 Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) as the national level, NHTSA is finalizing a new resource, Effective Communication Strategies to Promote .08 BAC Laws. This new publication is targeted to states that have recently adopted .08 BAC laws and provides examples of effective strategies to promote the new law. The guidebook includes specific ideas for publicizing the new law, such as developing "core" messages, creating media opportunities, using existing state resources to promote messages and templates of media tools. The materials will soon be available on the NHTSA web site: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

Omnibus Household Survey Program

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics - the Federal statistical agency for the Department of Transportation charged with improving the knowledge base for public decision making - coordinates the Omnibus Survey Program. The survey is a DOT- wide effort to collect information about the transportation system, how it is used, and how it is viewed by the users.

BTS gathers data every month on a random basis from 1,000 households across the country to determine the general public's satisfaction with the nation's transportation system and help prioritize improvements to the system. Each month the survey contains a core set of questions about transportation system use and levels of satisfaction with the Department of Transportation (DOT), thus allowing for the identification of monthly trends. Each month the survey also contains questions poised by various operating administrations within the Department as well as the survey asks questions relating to one of DOT's goals.

Link to report on the February Household Survey of the Omnibus Survey Program: http://www.bts.gov/omnibus/results/february/Feb_report.html.

ABOUT M. DAVIS AND COMPANY

M. Davis and Company, Inc., is a market research and consulting firm that provides complete services from project conception through implementation. We aim to ensure that our clients receive a high return on information (ROInfo™) by employing our unique perspective and market insights. We help clients make the most of their opportunities and implement solutions based on the information we provide.

M. Davis and Company, Inc. was recently selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation to administer the Omnibus Household Survey. This multi-year engagement involves the monthly administration of over 1,000 telephone surveys to randomly selected households to gather information regarding commuting habits and awareness of various Federal safety initiatives.

In addition to the U.S. Department of Transportation, other engagements include:

• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)/ Northeast Airport (PNE)
  
  • Identified and explored perceptions concerning B/C Terminal development
  • Determined the satisfaction factors critical to evaluation of a new Fixed Based Operator (FBO) by general aviation clients
    
    
• Conrail
  • Assessed client satisfaction with a new customer service center for Conrail.
    
    
• Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA)
  • Conducted first ever ridership survey for the DRBA.
  • Designed strategic plan which successfully increased ridership revenue.
    
    
• South Carolina Highway and Safety Department
  • Developed and implemented a public information and education campaign on pedestrian safety, which in an increase in the awareness and utilization of pedestrian safety practices
    
    
• Federal Transit Administration
  • Conducted study to develop a customer oriented transit monitoring system designed to measure performance from the customer perspective as well as analysis of the performance and benefits.

To learn more above the services and capabilities of M. Davis and Company, Inc., visit our web site at www.mdavisco.com or call 215-790-8900 to speak with one of our market research professionals.

If you do not want to receive this newsletter or can suggest other transportation professionals who might be interested in receiving future editions, please let us know at info@mdavisco.com.