Wyoming residents continue to express high satisfaction with WYDOT

March 16, 2015

Eight out of 10 Wyoming residents are satisfied with WYDOT’s stewardship of the state’s transportation system, according to a telephone survey completed by the Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center at the University of Wyoming.

WYSAC interviewed 1,004 adult Wyoming residents between Dec. 1 and Dec. 19, and 80 percent of them expressed overall satisfaction with WYDOT’s stewardship of the statewide transportation system. Three percent said they were dissatisfied, and 17 percent were neutral on the question.

The 80 percent overall satisfaction rating was statistically unchanged from the results of a 2012 survey.

“I am pleased with the consistent positive results we see continued with the results of this survey of the Wyoming citizens we serve,” WYDOT Director John Cox said. “We will continue our commitment to improvement and excellent service.”

WYDOT has contracted with WYSAC to conduct the customer satisfaction surveys every two years since 2002 to help the department assess how well it is fulfilling its mission of providing a safe, high-quality and efficient transportation system for the people of Wyoming.

The survey sample included residents in every county contacted using randomly generated telephone numbers, and about two-thirds of the interviews were via cell phones. The results have a margin of error of 3 percentage points with 95 percent confidence that the opinions of the state’s population as a whole fall within that range.

Eighty-five percent of the respondents in the 2014 survey agreed the state’s highways and interstates usually permit travel with only minimal delays. Eighty-one percent also said they were satisfied with the maintenance of the state’s highways.

More than 76 percent of those interviewed said they are satisfied with the smoothness of the ride on interstates and state highways near their residence, and 65 percent agreed the condition of the state highways has improved during the past two years.

On the subject of winter highway maintenance, 73 percent of residents said highways are plowed promptly, and 71 percent said plowing and sanding is done thoroughly.

When questioned about construction projects, 88 percent of respondents said they are usually satisfied with the amount of improvement in a road after a construction project is completed, and 87 percent agreed that traffic delays in work zones are usually minimized as much as possible.

Of the 81 percent of the respondents who said they had used one of the rest areas along Wyoming’s highways in the past two years, 92 percent said they were satisfied with the cleanliness of the facilities.

Overall satisfaction remained high with services offered at driver license offices around the state. Of the 67 percent of respondents who had conducted business at a driver license office during the past two years, 90 percent said they were satisfied with the courtesy of the staff, and 78 percent said they were satisfied with the promptness of the service.

Thirty-six percent of the respondents said they had direct contact with Highway Patrol personnel during the past two years, and 84 percent of those said Patrol personnel treat people with courtesy, 79 percent believe Patrol responds in a timely manner, and 78 percent said the Patrol meets their expectations.

Residents who had direct contact or experience of any kind with Patrol personnel during the past two years were significantly more likely to express satisfaction with Patrol than those with no contact. Of the 64 percent of respondents who had no contact, 69 percent agreed that Patrol personnel are courteous, 70 percent believe Patrol responds in a timely manner and 77 percent said Patrol meets their expectations.

Eighty-four percent of the respondents said they are satisfied with how WYDOT communicates with the public.

Other survey findings include:

• 68 percent of respondents said there are enough permanent lighted variable message signs on the highways;

• 85 percent agreed WYDOT does a good job of cleaning up litter and debris along highways;

• 63 percent said they had been to a Wyoming airport during the past two years, either to travel or to drop off or pick someone up, and 80 percent of those said they were satisfied with the overall facilities at that airport; and

• 36 percent of the respondents said they had flown from or to a Wyoming airport during the past two years, and 61 percent of those said they are satisfied with the commercial air service offered in the state.