NORTHERN CALIFORNIA / SOUTHERN OREGON RURAL INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS (ITS) AREAWIDE TRAVEL AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. TASK 2.4 TRAVELER NEEDS SURVEY: VOLUME I

Rural travelers may be more in need of timely information than those in urban areas due to dramatic weather changes and the remoteness of their travel. The combination of varied driving conditions and abundant off-road, commercial and recreational traffic produces an immediate and expanding need for increased traffic safety measures and information dissemination. This report focuses on the design, administration and analysis of a Traveler Needs Survey, conducted as part of the Northern California / Southern Oregon Rural Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Areawide Travel and Safety Improvement Project. The specific objectives of the survey were threefold. It was important to determine what types of information the rural traveler needs and wants, where the traveler would like information presented, and through what medium the traveler would like to see the information presented. This survey information will be useful, in part, for decisions as to what technologies, if any, could be applied to the roadway and surrounding areas to bring information to the traveler. The assessment instrument addresses the following areas of inquiry: safety concerns, pre-trip information, en-route information, trip planning, sources of information, communication mediums, funding options and demographics.