Survey shows residents satisfied with state's roads

State residents continue to be satisfied with the way the Wyoming Department of Transportation is taking care of the state’s transportation system.

WYDOT’s 2018 customer satisfaction survey shows that 85 percent of those surveyed are satisfied with the department’s stewardship of the statewide transportation system.

That number is slightly higher than 84 percent in 2016 and higher than 79 percent in 2014 and 2012.

“The overall ratings for the department are good, and that has a lot to do with the professionalism of our force,” WYDOT Director K. Luke Reiner said. “The next step is for us as an organization to look at the details behind the overall results and do a thorough study of what we can do to make sure that we provide even better service to the public.”

The results are part of a comprehensive survey the Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center (WYSAC) at the University of Wyoming conducted for WYDOT between Dec. 6 and Jan. 12 of 2018. WYDOT has contracted with WYSAC to conduct the customer satisfaction surveys every two years since 2002 to determine how well the department is performing for Wyoming citizens and to see where improvements can be made.

“Our efforts to examine the details of this survey and implement enhancements will take time, effort and attention to detail,” Reiner said. “But that is exactly what we are here for. In the end, our focus is to provide a better service to our customers.”

Besides the stewardship of the state’s transportation system, other questions regarding overall satisfaction continued to rate high among residents.

For example, residents gave a 73 percent satisfaction rate for the maintenance of guardrails, potholes and other issues with the roads. Although it’s slightly down from about 75 percent in 2016, WYSAC indicated it wasn’t statistically significant.

“This could indicate a growing awareness from the public that budget reductions have had a direct correlation to the amount of maintenance performed on our state’s roadway,” Reiner said.

Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) continued to see increases in several categories.

Results showed about 77 percent were satisfied with how they treat people with courtesy and respect, which was the same in 2016. In 2014, about 75 percent were satisfied.

The public also continued to praise WHP for meeting the expectations they have. Results showed about 84 percent agreed WHP meets their expectations, which is an increase from 83 percent in 2016 and 78 percent in 2014.

When looking at any contact or no contact with a member of Patrol, residents gave higher marks after having contact with the law enforcement agency.

For example, about 81 percent of those who had no contact agreed Patrol meets their expectations compared to about 88 percent who had contact.

Driver Services also continued to perform well overall. Results showed about 79 percent were satisfied with the promptness of staff compared to 79 percent in 2016, 78 percent in 2014 and 77 percent in 2012.

Residents also continued to rely on WYDOT’s 511 website and web cameras for road and travel information. Results showed about 73 percent used WYDOT’s 511 website compared to 72 percent in 2016. Results also showed that about 70 percent used the web cameras compared to about 68 percent in 2016.

Although less Wyoming residents reported visiting state airports in the past two years, the satisfaction rate increased. Results show 57 percent visited an airport for any reason compared to 64 percent in 2016. Out of those who visited, about 80 percent said they were satisfied with the overall facilities compared to 78 percent in 2016.

Other survey findings indicated:

• About 79 percent said they agreed WHP responds to situations in an appropriate manner, a slight decrease from 80 percent in 2016.
• Eighty-four percent said they were satisfied with road improvements, which was a decrease from 87 percent in 2016.
• About 82 percent said they agreed the state does a good job of litter and debris cleanup, which was up from 81 percent in 2016.
• About 69 percent agreed the state plowed and sanded the roads thoroughly, which was an increase from 68 percent in 2016.
• Seventy-two percent said were satisfied concerning highway surfaces and if they provided a smooth ride, which was a decrease from 75 percent in 2016.
• About 88 percent said they were satisfied with the cleanliness of the state’s rest areas, which is a decrease from about 93 percent in 2016.

To read the full Customer Satisfaction Survey, visit WYDOT’s website at http://www.dot.state.wy.us/home/news_info.html, scroll to “General Information Files” and select the link “2018 WYDOT Customer Satisfaction Survey.”

For additional information about this news release, contact Doug McGee, Public Affairs manager, at (307) 777-4010.