FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Kate Armitage, Director
Arts, Recreation, Parks & Communications
City of Millington
KArmitage@CityofMillington.org
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Ms. Pragati Srivastava, MPO Administrator
Phone: (901).576.7190
Email: Pragati.Srivastava@memphistn.gov
SECOND PHASE OF REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION STUDY LAUNCHED.
MID-SOUTH PLANNERS ASK FOR HELP IN DEFINING THE REGION'S FUTURE
MILLINGTON, TENNESSEE (JANUARY 21, 2014) The Memphis MPO needs community input and participation in documenting how people travel in the region. Beginning this month, some Mid-South residents will be receiving a phone call or a postcard inviting them to participate in a region-wide transportation survey of households. By answering a few travel-related questions and keeping a one-day travel diary, participants will help regional transportation decision makers gain a better understanding of how residents get around in their daily activities. This effort, sponsored jointly by the Memphis Urban Area MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) and the Mississippi and Tennessee Departments of Transportation (MDOT and TDOT), is the second of four phases of the “Mid-South Regional Travel Survey” campaign.
Vital to the future growth of the Greater Memphis area, the results of this research will provide important information regarding the travel patterns of residents in the Region. It will serve as an important component in planning efforts towards strengthening the quality of the region’s transportation system. Additionally, it will promote fiscally sound decisions for the region’s citizenry and economic welfare with regards to improving roads, greenways, public transportation, and traffic congestion.
“In order to plan for the future needs of commuters in the region, it is critical that we assess their travel patterns today,” said Mayor Mark Luttrell (Shelby County, TN). “Participation in this survey will provide planners and policy makers with the information they need to improve the connection between people and the places they want or need to go throughout our region.”
The Memphis MPO, in partnership with MDOT and TDOT, is asking for earnest community support and input throughout this survey in order to gain the most accurate and in-depth information needed to advance the region’s transportation needs.
Supervisor Mark Gardner (DeSoto County, MS) said, “Regional collaboration is essential because the city limit lines and the county lines are gray these days. So, it’s very important that we all sit down at the table and talk about how we can work together and how we can help each other.”
Citizen input and ideas will be gathered through a random survey of area household residents conducted by Abt SRBI (a national research organization). Participation in this household survey is easy, voluntary, and randomly selected by phone and by mail. All information collected is strictly confidential, and the data will not be used for anything other than this project. There are two steps in this process: household registration and travel information logging, which will take place as a 1-day diary record.
In the first step, a postcard or letter will be sent to selected households with registration instructions. Registration will require about 10 minutes and include questions about characteristics of the household. Once registration is completed, a travel date will be assigned and travel packets with instructions, a monetary incentive, and travel diaries for each member of the household will be delivered to the registrant’s home.
In the second step, each member of the household will keep a 24-hour travel diary record on the assigned travel date. Travel diaries will aid in the recording of locations, modes of transportation, and activities and time spent at these locations.
Project staff members at Abt SRBI will be available to answer any questions about this study or the participation process.
Pragati Srivastava, Administrator of the Memphis MPO added, “We are urging participation from all who are selected to join us in this effort because the information we have now is at least 15 years old. People’s needs have changed a lot during this timeframe. Their input is vital and will positively impact transportation decisions that will serve our communities now and in the future."
This household study is part of the larger “Mid-South Regional Travel Survey” transportation study that not only includes drivers, but will also incorporate research on freight transport, transit riders, pedestrians, and bicyclists, ending in May 2014. The transit research portion of this study, which included bus and trolley riders, was completed in Nov. 2013. Many MPOs nationwide are conducting or have already conducted similar research for their regions.
For more information about the household travel survey, please visit www.MidSouthTravel.org.
Learn more about the Memphis MPO’s ongoing efforts at memphismpo.org. Go to Resources > Projects > Travel Survey FAQs.
ABOUT MILLINGTON, TENNESSEE
Located just minutes from Memphis, Millington enjoys an exceptional quality of life for an estimated 10,000 citizens. Quality education, recreation and economic growth make Millington a great place to live, work and play. Millington education offers a variety of public and private, faith based schools and various colleges, universities and technical institutions to serve the area. In 2004 The University of Memphis opened its Millington Campus and offers undergraduate and graduate courses in numerous fields of study. Millington is home to Naval Support Activity Mid-South, Ingram Micro, Memphis International Raceway, USA Stadium, Mirimichi and other golf courses providing opportunities for economic growth and world-class recreation. Millington’s West Tennessee Regional Business Center, a publically owned business and industry center, features 1900 acres of prime industrial space with easy access to the Millington Regional Jetport and the Canadian National Railroad. True intermodal transportation and shipping, makes Millington the perfect place for business. Widely known as “Flag City, USA”, Millington truly offers the best of the Mid-South.
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