IP&O conducts annual campus-wide transportation survey, explains implications for U. community

The annual Rutgers—New Brunswick Bus Survey is currently being conducted through the end of this week, according to a University-wide email.

Jenn Stuart, senior director of University Planning and Development at Rutgers Institutional Planning and Operations (IP&O), said the survey became annual in 2021 and gets approximately 5,000 responses.

The Transportation Services department at IP&O asks questions to help it identify trends and gauge student input on changes that have been made to the transportation system, she said. This year's survey included questions about Passio Go! and Veo's scooter system on campus.

The survey utilizes the Qualtrics company to analyze the data from closed-ended questions, while open-ended questions and significant trends are examined more closely by IP&O staff, Stuart said.

"The primary goal is to get a sense of how the University community is traveling around campus and how satisfied they are with their experience," she said.

The survey helps IP&O better understand what needs fixing, including for those walking, cycling or riding the campus bus system.

Stuart said past changes implemented based on the surveys and interactions with students included improvements at the Lipman bus stop on the Douglass campus and the F bus route changes implemented during the previous academic year.

"This survey is a tremendous resource for IP&O to use to gauge the satisfaction of the New Brunswick community," she said. "All of the feedback is reviewed to see where enhancements can be made to the service."

Staff from IP&O also meets with student groups and hosts programs to directly hear from students on their transportation-related concerns, she said.

Stuart also said similar surveys are being conducted on the Camden and Newark campuses that are unique to their transportation needs and experiences.