State DOTs provide traveler information through a variety of mechanisms; however it is unclear who uses the information provided.
South Dakota DOT (SDDOT) in July 2025 completed a “SDDOT 2025 Statewide Customer Satisfaction Assessment.” The document includes the results of surveys that tracked and monitored attitudes and needs among SDDOT customers, including the general public, farmers, emergency vehicle operators, and trucker/shippers. The study includes opinions of 1,505 residents, 377 truckers/shippers, 90 emergency vehicle operators, 310 farmers/ranchers, 379 senior citizens, 42 state legislators, and 106 contractors. A few key results related to this NWP project from the residents surveyed include the following:
- Nearly twenty-three percent (22.9%) of residents prefer SDDOT share information with them through text or online through websites (17%).
- The majority (66%) of residents have seen SDDOT message boards along highways.
- Almost all residents are satisfied with the information sources that SDDOT uses: the information with the highest ratings of satisfaction were 511sd.org (92%) and SDDOT message boards along highways (91%).
The Minnesota DOT also conducts a general survey each year, but it is not segmented out by different groups. Research in past years by the ENTERPRISE PFS found that travelers in Seattle and Minneapolis who viewed travel time displays on DMS tended to exit and pursue alternate routes when the travel times were roughly twice as long as typical times. These are just examples of previous research into understanding the users of traveler information.
Deliverables
- In progress.
nwpassage.info 