AP4

TRANSFERING MODES

Transferring from a train or bus terminal to another mode of transit (light rail or bus) one block away.

Leaving a station and finding a taxi stand on the street.

APPENDIX 4 : Subject Questionnaire for San Francisco RIAS Experiment

Part I: Pre-test questions Circle or write answer

Date……….. Time---------- Source_________________

Personal Details

Name:.............................................................................. Subject #:………..

Address:………………………………………………..

Phone:…………………………………………………..

Are you? Male o Female o

Age:...........

Highest Grade Level of Education Finished

No HS Some HS HS grad Some college college grad Advanced degree

NATURE OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT OR BLINDNESS

Age of onset of blindness:...............................................................................

How long blind?……………………………………………………………..

Cause of blindness:.........................................................................................

Describe blindness including any light or shape perception:

What is your visual acuity after correction, e.g., (20/200) or field of vision?…………………..

Are you legally blind? Yes: o No: o

(2) Which of the following best describes your ability to read:

Can read large print
Can read large print with aid i.e. magnifier
Cannot read large print at all
Can read Braille

Do you use any adaptive technology to aid reading? Yes: o No: o

Name and describe it:.............................................................................................................

Do you have a hearing loss? Yes: o No: o

MOBILITY INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCE

Do you use mobility aids CANE TALKING SIGNS DOG ECHO OTHER

How long have you had O&M training on using transit? ---------------

How long have you had O&M training on other independent travel skills? ---------

How helpful was your O&M training? On a scale of 1-5 (5=Very helpful) _____

Please rate yourself in terms of your mobility and travel in the following areas:

	Very Confident	Confident	"Average”	Unsure	Very unsure
Independent travel
General Sense of Direction
New environments

TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION:

How often do you learn a new route or navigate around a new place?

daily several times a week weekly several times a month once a month
less than once a month

Had you heard of Talking Signs before being contacted about this experiment? YES NO

How often have you used the auditory signage system "Talking Signs"?

NEVER FEW TIMES REGULAR USER

How often have you been to the downtown SF Caltrains stations at 4th and King?

NEVER BEEN THERE FEW TIMES QUITE OFTEN

How many trips or outings do you make in an average week? ____________

Is this less than before you lost your sight CIRCLE YES NO SAME N/A

If you make fewer trips what is the major reason for your reduced travel?_____________

In an average week:

1. How often do you use bus transit? ______

2. How often do you use the BART system? _______

3. How often do you use the Light Rail system? _______

4. How often do you use door to door van services? ______

5. How often do you use family or friends private car? ______

6. How often do you use a taxi or other paid service (not van) ______

7. How often do you walk to your activities? ______

EMPLOYMENT

Employment Status: Are you?

Employed Full time Part time Self Employed Student Volunteer Not employed

Is this current employment status what you desire? Yes No

What employment status would you prefer?

Full time Part timeSelf Employed Student Volunteer Not employed

Are you able to work flexible hours? Yes No

What type of job skill certification, training or degree do you have? __________________

If Employed:

What is your occupation? _____________________

How long have you been employed? _________

If you were already working when you became visually impaired, have you become underemployed because of your impairment? YES NO

If underemployed, how much less do you make? ___________

Do you feel that you are underemployed (skills not utilized)? Yes No

Do you feel that you are underemployed because of transit or other access problems?

Yes No

If Unemployed:

What was your occupation? _______________

How long have you been unemployed? _________

If you were already working when you became visually impaired, have you become unemployed because of your impairment? YES NO

If unemployed, how much less do you make? ___________

Do you feel that you are unemployed because of transit and other access problems?

Yes No

Transportation and employment:

List any transportation problems that restrict your choices for employment or job search.

Are there any specific problems with transferring between different transit modes which restrict your choice of employment locations or job search?

	Strongly agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly disagree
My vision impairment has caused problems in transit use, which restrict my range of locations for jobs.
My vision impairment has caused problems in transit use which restrict my range of non-job related activities.
If transit and mode transfers were made less difficult I could find a better job.

Housing

How long have you lived at your present location?_________

How do you conduct a search for a new place to live?

What problems do you face as a visually impaired person when searching for a good location in which to live.

Travel Information

What is your regular method to get and recall information when you have to learn about a new route

or how to get to a new location.

If a special concert or movie I was looking forward to attending was being held 10 miles away in an unfamiliar location that was served by an unfamiliar transit route and also required a transfer to another mode, I would probably:

1 Forego the event

2 Ask a friend for a ride

3 Ask a family member for a ride

4 Ask someone to teach me the transit route

5 Pay for a cab

6 Call dial-a-ride

7 Get information and then rely on my travel skills and by asking for help on the way

8 Other ----------------

How much would you be willing to pay for a sighted guide to get you to and from the event?

$ Per Day?

How much money would you be willing to pay if you were able to independently travel the new route and make the transfer yourself?

$ Per Day?

How much extra money would you be willing to pay for this event if you were able to have the same access to the information on signs, at streets intersections, on transit and in buildings that the sighed public enjoys?

$ Per Day?

If a job that you wanted was located 10 miles away in an unfamiliar location that was served by an unfamiliar transit route and also required a transfer to another mode, I would probably:

1 Forego the job

2 Ask a friend for a ride

3 Ask a family member for a ride

4 Ask someone to teach me the transit route

5 Pay for a cab

6 Call dial-a-ride

7 get information and then rely on my travel skills and by asking for help on the way

8 Other ------------------------------

How much would you be willing to pay a sighted guide to get you to and from the job?

$Per Day?

How much money would you be willing to pay if you were able to independently travel the new route and make the transfer?

$Per Day?

How much money would you be willing to pay if you were able to have the same access to the information on signs, at street intersections, on transit and in buildings that the sighted public enjoys?

$ Per Day?

Monetary gains from independent travel

If I was able to use unfamiliar transit and make transfers independently and with less difficulty, I could probably make $------------------ more per year.

If I was able to use unfamiliar transit and make transfers independently and with less difficulty I could reduce my spending for assistance by $----------- per year.

Travel

How often during an average week do you make these types of trips or activities? How long is your total round trip transit travel and/or walk time?

Trips Total transit time Walk time

Work ---------- ------------ --------------

Shopping ---------- ------------ --------------

Social events ---------- ------------ --------------

Recreation ---------- ------------ --------------

Entertainment ---------- ------------ --------------

Educational ---------- ------------ --------------

Religious ---------- ------------ --------------

Medical ---------- ------------ --------------

Banking / Financial ---------- ------------ --------------

Other ---------- ------------ --------------

Do you sometimes avoid trips or activities because of your visual impairment and the difficulties of independent travel YES NO

If YES, How often during a week do you avoid these types of trips or activities because of you visual impairment and difficulties of independent travel?

Work ----------

Shopping ----------

Social events ----------

Recreation ----------

Entertainment ----------

Educational ----------

Religious ----------

Medical ----------

Banking / Financial ----------

Other ----------

How difficult are the following transit and modal transfer tasks? (5 pt. scale)

Extremely difficult, Very difficult, Difficult, Somewhat difficult, Not at all difficult

TRANSIT INFORMATION	Extm	Very	Diff	Some	Not
Getting enough suitable information about an unfamiliar transit terminal or building so that you could make an unaided trip.
Getting enough suitable information about an unfamiliar transit route so that you could make an unaided trip
Getting enough suitable information about transit boarding locations on an unfamiliar transit route so that you could make an unaided trip
Preplanning and remembering instructions, directions and routes for an unfamiliar area so that you can make an unaided transit trip
Having the same access and ease of use of transit and public buildings as enjoyed by the general public is?

BUSES	Extm	Very	Diff	Some	Not
Finding a bus stop
Knowing which buses stop at a bus stop
Finding the proper bus
Finding a bus door safely and quickly for easy boarding
Transferring to another bus on the line
Transferring buses at a busy terminal

TRAIN STATION	Extm	Very	Diff	Some	Not
Finding my way around an unfamiliar train or bus terminal
Finding information or ticket windows, services and amenities such as phones and bathrooms in a new building or terminal.
Finding the proper boarding gate at a train station when there are many doors or gates to various platforms
Finding the door to a train at an unfamiliar platform

Muni (Light Rail)	Extm	Very	Diff	Some	Not
Finding the entrance and the platform for a street level Muni platform
Finding out which Muni routes are served by a platform
Finding which side of the platform to wait at for the proper train
Finding the door to a Muni train

TRANSFERING MODES	Extm	Very	Diff	Some	Not
Transferring from a train or bus terminal to another mode of transit (light rail or bus) one block away.
Leaving a station and finding a taxi stand on the street.

STREET INTERSECTIONS	Extm	Very	Diff	Some	Not
Crossing a busy street in an unfamiliar area.
Realizing I am lost while travelling and don't know which street corner I am at.
Determining the traffic flow and intersection type in order to safely cross at an unfamiliar street intersection
Knowing what street corner I am at when in an unfamiliar area.
Keeping my mental map continually updated so that I know which block or crossing I am at while traveling

These questions attempt to determine how much a person views transit transfers as a barrier to travel

For each situation, assume that you are a regular rider of a transit line and your trip home takes you one hour. You find out that a new route such as an express bus or rail service has opened up. You can save some time on your one hour trip but will have to make a transfer from your regular route to the new route or system. For these situations, assume that there is no waiting time at the transfer site, only the walking and search time and effort. The questions ask about making this new modal transfer in both familiar and unfamiliar areas.

How much time would you have to save before you would make a transfer to another mode located in the same block as your stop:

In a familiar area --------

In an unfamiliar area -------

How much time would you have to save before you would make a transfer to another mode located across the street from your stop:

In a familiar area --------

In an unfamiliar area -------

How much time would you have to save before you would make a transfer to another mode located three blocks from your stop:

In a familiar area --------

In an unfamiliar area -------

Part II TS Field Test Circle one TS 1^st TS 2nd

Name:.............................................................................. Subject #:………..

Train TS using sign for future fare machine. Explain the cone of light, have them check top, bottom, right and left sides. Walk to it 3 times. Go to plaza door and practice toward door 3 times. Put portable unit on pole near door and walk to it twice. Explain how to know when you walk past. Put them in middle and let them experience 180, <180 and >180 angles. Walk them until disorientated and then take to nearby street corner info sign so they understand how the information is given.

Start at the outside train platform if possible. Go to inside door and have them stand with back to door. Draw upside down “T” on their hand and explain tracks behind them and the hallway and amenities are in front and to left. “The many railroad tracks all come in behind us. There is a central hallway leading to the main exit and the street in front. Different customer amenities and counters are located along hallway and opposite wall.

TASK I &2 TERMINAL TO RAIL TO TERMINAL

In this experiment we will be simulating making transfer between various transit modes. We will be making 4 street crossings altogether. I need you to stop at the crossing ramp before crossing the street. We will wait through one cycle of the "WAIT" signal. When you think it is clear to go please tell me before crossings. I will stop you if it is too early to cross safely. Please stop at the opposite side crossing ramp each time you cross. Let me know when you know you are at the proper crossing ramp.

Start at terminal door 7. "For this task, we will transfer from the train station to the Muni light rail area. You are at the back of the train station facing the front. There is a hallway leading to the street in front. At the street turn right and go to the corner. After crossing the street, find the Muni light rail station area which is on your right in the median strip. Find where to pay the fare.

"Before leaving the Caltrain station and going to Muni rail, we will first stop at the (proper) bathroom which is located somewhere on the opposite wall. Then find where to buy a candy bar. After that, find the main exit and turn right to go to the corner toward the Muni platform"

Any questions? Please repeat the instructions"

"Please say "here" or otherwise let me know when you arrive at each of the selected locations. You will have a maximum of 4 minutes for each leg of the trip. You can ask other people for information or directions but do not let them guide you. If you want to give up, you will be given the maximum time of 4 minutes and I will walk you to the next location. If at any time you are uncomfortable with a task, please let me know. Your comfort and safety are the central concern in this experiment"

TASK !

FROM TO RT ERROR COMMENTS

TRACK7 -- BATHROOM ________ ________ _______________

BATHROOM-- CANDY ________ ________ _______________

CANDY--CORNER ________ ________ _______________

CORNER--CORNER ________ ________ _______________

CORNER--FARE BOX ________ ________ _______________

In TS condition, take them up the platform to hear the installed transmitters.

"From here we will walk back the way we came, when you get to the entrance to the train terminal find the ticket and information window, then find where to buy flowers, find the inside pay phone and then go to the door for Track 2. Any Questions? Please repeat instructions.”

TASK 2

FROM TO RT ERROR COMMENTS

CORNER--CORNER ________ ________ _______________

CORNER--TICKET WIN ________ ________ _______________

TICKET --FLOWERS ________ __________ ______________

FLOWERS --PHONE ________ _______ _____ _______________

PHONE--TRACK 2 ________ ________ _______________

TASK 3 TERMINAL TO TAXI TO TERMINAL

"This test takes us from the train station to a taxi cab stand. In this task I will guide with you from this door to the main exit, turn left and go to the corner. At the corner we turn left again and walk to the taxi stand pole. It is located where the curb is indented for cabs to park. As we travel listen or scan for cues."

AT TAXI STAND: "In this task you will go to the drinking fountain (use any path you want), then to the ticket window and then to Track 11

FROM TO RT ERROR COMMENTS

TAXI POLE--WATER ________ ________ _______________

WATER- TICKET WIN ________ ________ _______________

TICKET WIN-TRACK 1 1 ________ ________ _______________

TASK 4& 5 TERMINAL TO BUS STAND TO TERMINAL

"In this task you will walk from this door to the street in front (use any path or door you want) and find the first corner we visited, the one leading to the Muni platform.. This time instead of going straight across to Muni, we will cross the street on your left, remember to stop at the crosswalk. After crossing the street, turn left and find a pay phone and then find the bus stop for bus #15. There will be someone there that you can ask.”

TASK 4

FROM TO RT ERROR COMMENTS

TRACK 11--CORNER ________ ________ _______________

CORNER--CORNER ________ ________ _______________

CORNER--PAY PHONE ________ ________ _______________

PAY PHONE-BUS SH #15 ________ ________ _______________

"For the return trip to the train terminal I will guide you back the way we came, stopping at the corners before and after you cross. I will then guide you back to the main entrance and to the ticket window. Then walk to find a hot dog and then to Track 3.

TASK 5

FROM TO RT ERROR COMMENTS

BUS SH #13 - CORNER Guided walk

CORNER - CORNER ________ ________ _______________

CORNER – TICKET WIN Guided walk

TICKET WIN – HOT DOG ________ ________ _______________

HOT DOG - TRACK 3 ________ ________ _______________

Spatial Knowledge

Circle answer or fill in

Which concession counter is closest to the front street?

Hot Dog Don't know ________________

What concession counter is closest to the train area?

Flowers Don't know ________________

Which concession counter is closest to or across from the ticket window?

Candy Don't know ________________

What concession counter is closest tot he Candy counter?

Flowers Don't know ________________

Which amenity is closest tot he water fountain?

Men's bathroom Don't know ________________

What amenity is closest to the phone?

Women's bathroom Don't know ________________

What amenity is furthest from the phone

Water fountain Don't know ________________

What street is in front of the train station

4^th Don't know ________________

How many lanes and what direction (one way / two way) is this street?

4 lanes, two way Don't know ________________

What street did you cross to get to the Muni rail platform?

King Don't know ________________

How many lanes and what direction (one way / two way) is this street?

2 lanes, one way Don't know ________________

What street is the taxi stand on?

Townsend Don't know ________________

How many train tracks serve the Caltrain station?

12 Don't know ________________

The highest track # is closest to which of the other transit modes we visited

Muni Don't know ________________

Which track door # is closest to track door 6?

5 Don't know ________________

Which track door # is closest to track door7?

8 Don't know ________________

Which tracks are closest to the main entrance?

3/4 Don't know ________________

Which tracks are closest to the waiting room?

5/6 Don't know ________________

Which track # did we first start at?

7/8 Don’t know _______________

Where do the doors across from tracks 9-12 lead

King Plaza Don't know ________________

Think about the street crossings we just made. What was different from your regular method when using TS?

Think about finding various features in the terminal. What was different from your regular method when using TS?

Think about the transfers we made between different modes of transit. What was different from your regular method when using TS?

Part III: Post-test questions

Date……….. Time----------

Name:.............................................................................. Subject #:………..

"Our experiment today has taken place in an area which is fairly rich with Talking Signs transmitters. There were about 30 transmitters at the Caltrain station, there were signs at the Muni rail platform, the taxi stand, the bus stop and outdoor phone and at street intersections for the 4 crossings we made. For all the questions in this post-test interview, please imagine that your entire travel area and neighborhood was equipped with this concentrated type of Talking Signs installation."

If Talking Signs were installed on transit, intersections, signs and buildings how would you

rate yourself in terms of your mobility and travel in the following areas:

	Very Confident	confident	"average”	unsure	very unsure
Independent travel
General Sense of Direction
New environments

TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION:

How often would you learn a new route or navigate around a new place?

Daily	Several times a week	Weekly	Several times a month	Once a month	Less frequently than monthly
_______	________	_______	_________	__________	___________

1 Forego the event

2 Ask a friend for a ride

3 Ask a family member for a ride

4 Ask someone to teach me the transit route

5 Pay for a cab

6 Call dial-a-ride

7 Get information and then rely on my travel skills and by asking for help on the way

8 Other ------------------------

How much money would you be willing to pay to be able to use Talking Signs for this trip if they were installed on transit, intersections, signs and buildings

$ Per Day?

If a job that you wanted was located 10 miles away in an unfamiliar location that was served by an unfamiliar transit route and also required a transfer to another mode, I would probably:

1 Forego the job

2 Ask a friend for a ride

3 Ask a family member for a ride

4 Ask someone to teach me the transit route

5 Pay for a cab

6 Call dial-a-ride

7 Get information and then rely on my travel skills and by asking for help on the way

8 Other ------------------------

How much money would you be willing to pay to be able to use Talking Signs for this trip if they were installed on transit, intersections, signs and buildings

$ Per Day?

Monetary gains from independent travel

If Talking Signs were installed citywide on all transit, intersections, signs and buildings I could probably make

$---------------- more per year.

If Talking Signs were installed citywide on all transit, intersections and buildings I could reduce

my spending for assistance by $------------------ per year.

Travel

How many more trips a week would you make if Talking Signs were installed citywide in all transit, intersections, signs and buildings?

Work ----------

Shopping ----------

Social events ----------

Recreation ----------

Entertainment ----------

Educational ----------

Religious ----------

Medical ----------

Banking / Financial ----------

Other ----------

I would be willing to pay $------------ per day to be able to use Talking Signs if they were installed citywide and gave me the same access to signs as the sighted public.

If Talking Signs were installed on all transit, intersections and buildings

How difficult would the following transit and modal transfer tasks be (5 pt. scale)

Extremely difficult, Very difficult, Difficult, Somewhat difficult, Not at all difficult

TRANSIT INFORMATION	Extm	Very	Diff	Some	Not
Getting enough suitable information about an unfamiliar transit terminal or building so that you could make an unaided trip.
Getting enough suitable information about an unfamiliar transit route so that you could make an unaided trip
Getting enough suitable information about transit boarding locations on an unfamiliar transit route so that you could make an unaided trip
Preplanning and remembering instructions, directions and routes for an unfamiliar area so that you can make an unaided transit trip
Having the same access and ease of use of transit and public buildings as enjoyed by the general public is?

BUSES	Extm	Very	Diff	Some	Not
Finding a bus stop
Knowing which buses stop at a bus stop
Finding the proper bus
Finding a bus door safely and quickly for easy boarding
Transferring to another bus on the line
Transferring buses at a busy terminal

TRAIN STATION	Extm	Very	Diff	Some	Not
Finding my way around an unfamiliar train or bus terminal
Finding information or ticket windows, services and amenities such as phones and bathrooms in a new building or terminal.
Finding the proper boarding gate at a train station when there are many doors or gates to various platforms
Finding the door to a train at an unfamiliar platform

Muni (Light Rail)	Extm	Very	Diff	Some	Not
Finding the entrance and the platform for a street level Muni platform
Finding out which Muni routes are served by a platform
Finding which side of the platform to wait at for the proper train
Finding the door to a Muni train

STREET INTERSECTIONS	Extm	Very	Diff	Some	Not
Crossing a busy street in an unfamiliar area.
Realizing I am lost while travelling and don't know which street corner I am at.
Determining the traffic flow and intersection type in order to safely cross at an unfamiliar street intersection
Knowing what street corner I am at when in an unfamiliar area.
Keeping my mental map continually updated so that I know which block or crossing I am at while traveling

If Talking Signs were installed on all transit, intersections, signs and buildings

How much time would you have to save before you would make a transfer to another mode located in the same block as your stop:

In a familiar area --------

In an unfamiliar area -------

How much time would you have to save before you would make a transfer to another mode located across the street from your stop:

In a familiar area --------

In an unfamiliar area -------

How much time would you have to save before you would make a transfer to another mode located three blocks from your stop:

In a familiar area --------

In an unfamiliar area -------

Please rate if you agree or disagree with the following statements (5 point scale)

Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly Disagree

TALKING SIGNS INSTALLATIONS	S Ag	Ag	Neut	Disa	S Di
TS are helpful and should be installed at terminals
TS are helpful and should be installed at bus stops
TS are helpful and should be installed at transit platforms
TS are helpful and should be installed at street intersections
TS are helpful and should be installed in buildings
TS are helpful and should be installed where printed signs are located
TS are helpful and should be installed at transit vehicle boarding doors
TS give vital spatial information at intersections and should be installed
TS at intersection crosswalks make crossings safer
TS makes transit transfers easier and safer
A city-wide TS system would help me financially
A city-wide TS system would allow me to travel to more places
From what I experienced in this test, I feel that the TS system helped me use unfamiliar transit and make transfers

If TS were installed citywide on transit, intersections, signs and buildings, how would they affect your travel?

What is your overall opinion of Talking Signs?

OVERVIEW

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