Download the full PDF version of this issue (100K).
(Viewable with Acrobat Reader from Adobe.)

Messenger Shot (well, figuratively)

by Ted Apostol

Research is not always fun. We recently surveyed 300 commuting residents of Ahwatukee Foothills. The study objective was to determine the level of support for a planned freeway on Pecos Road. The freeway is envisioned to connect I-10 at Pecos Road, go west around South Mountain and rejoin I-10 at about 51st Avenue.

Ahwatukee commuters struggle with serious traffic delays and are anxious for solutions. Answers have yet to be found to reduce the problem. Current plans are projected to merely reduce the growth rate of traffic in the area.

The City of Phoenix hired WestGroup Research to design and conduct a study that would take an objective look at community attitudes, and input and approval was provided from both opponents and proponents of the plan before the survey was taken.

The key survey question was... Do you think a connection along the Pecos Road alignment should be built around the west end of South Mountain to I-10 in the west valley? The responses were YES: 57%, NO: 33% and NO OPINION: 10%.

We knew going in that the issue was controversial, and the study proved that. A slight majority (57%) supported the planned connection. Given the survey range of accuracy is plus or minus 6%, support could be as low as 51%. While a majority were in favor, the results were certainly not overwhelming. The percentage of respondents supporting the connection increased as the distance they resided from Pecos Road increased. Among those who live within one mile of Pecos Road 48% were for and 44% were against. Ahwatukee Foothills residents who live farther than one mile were considerably more supportive — 67% for and 23% against.

The difficult part of this assignment was presenting the findings to the Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee at a meeting open to the public. The meeting was held on May 21st at the Senior Center in Ahwatukee. Freeway opponents showed up in force. They were concerned about the impact of a freeway on their lifestyle and home values, and for them the study results were not good news. Then came the questions with answers hard to easily explain to non-researchers.

• Question: Why didn't you call me? Answer: Because we called randomly.

• Question: How can 300 respondents represent everybody? Answer: Random sampling closely approximates what would be found if everyone could be interviewed.

• Question: Where did you get your list to call from? Answer: Random digit dialing.

• Question: Why did you ask the question this way? Answer: To be as objective as possible.

My answers did not seem satisfactory for those who wanted to squash the freeway, and only seemed to frustrate and anger attendees more. There were a few who tried to undermine the study results by questioning the integrity of city planners and WestGroup. One member of the audience had his own suggestion about where to put the study. They stopped short of questioning my mother's morality, but I felt well flogged. This kind of abuse is no fun. But we promise our clients and the public the truth, and that's what they get — like it or not.

We hope Ahwatukee Foothills residents get good solutions to traffic problems whatever they decide to do now.

JUNE 2001 Answers:
Contents
Past Issues