Project Studies

The following are descriptions of selected studies which represent a small sample of the types of projects that CIC Research undertakes.  The firm's major areas of professional competence include regional economics, land economics, market potential analysis, sales forecasting, scientific and opinion surveying.   Summaries are periodically updated.

Transportation Research

Atlanta Alternative Mode Switchers

Client -- CTE, Center for Transportation and the Environment

Work Content --CIC Research worked with CTE and the Atlanta Transportation Demand Management (TDM) project team to develop a survey of commuters with the aim of assessing travel and emissions reductions from commute behavior changes that could be credited to the Voluntary Mobile Emissions Reduction Program (VMEP) in the State Implementation Plan (SIP). This study is a follow up to a study conducted in previous years. As a result of revisions and expansions to the study, new attempts were made to measure the Atlanta region's progress in meeting the VMEP's emission reduction target. The study also examines the causality more thoroughly in relation to the influence of VMEP's on commute changes. Surveys interviews were completed with commuters who made any type of commute change, as well as with commuters who made changes from an alternative mode to driving alone, and with commuters who did not make any commute changes. Approximately 35,000 sample points were used in order to complete the survey. Survey responses were expanded according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. At the end of the study, data were delivered in an Excel spreadsheet with documentation to the project team, together with a technical report, frequency runs, and crosstabulations.

Atlanta's Cash for Commuters (CFC) Evaluation

Client -- CTE, Center for Transportation and the Environment

Work Content --CIC Research worked with Center for Transportation and the Environment and the Atlanta transportation demand management (TDM) project team to develop a survey to evaluate The Clean Air Campaign's Cash for Commuters transportation incentive program. The Cash for Commuters program provided a $3.00 per day incentive to qualifying commuters in the Atlanta area who used an alternative commute mode a minimum of 13 days and a maximum of 60 days in a 90-day period. Through a series of questions, the survey established the commute habits of participants before they started the program, during the transportation incentive program, and three months after the end date of the program. Questions were asked to determine influences in program usage and satisfaction with the program. Using the finite population correction factor, CIC determined that 300 completed surveys would yield 95% + or - 5% confidence level. CIC completed surveys from a random selection of participants. The final deliverables for the study included a write-up of the survey administration, frequencies and crosstabulations of the survey results, the calculation of analysis variables to determine the reduction of vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and data files of the survey records. At the request of the client, the survey records were delivered in two formats; an Excel file and an SPSS system file.

Guaranteed Ride Home for Washington, DC Area

Client -- LDA Consulting on behalf of Metropolitain Washington Council of Governments (COG)

Work Content --The Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) Survey, was designed to track commute behavior for current and past participants of the Washington area program. A total of 1,000 interviews were collected from participants who had entered the program over a three-year period. The survey results were weighted by GRH participant type and results were provided to the client both electronically in SAS and in hard copy format. A technical report was delivered containing a description of the survey administration and the preliminary survey results.

Middle Georgia Employer Survey

Client -- CTE, Center for Transportation and the Environment

Work Content --CIC staff joined with the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) to design a questionnaire and study for The Clean Air Campaign of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Transportation. The study included in-depth interviews with the 19-largest employers in the 7-county, mid-Georgia, non-attainment area. The comprehensive questionnaire was designed to assess the baseline awareness of transportation demand management (TDM) activities in the region. CIC tabulated the results and delivered them to CTE for further analysis.

The Clean Air Campaign (CAC) School Evaluation

Client -- CTE, Center for Transportation and the Environment

Work Content --The Clean Air Campaign of Georgia (CAC) approached the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) to design a study to evaluate a traffic congested school in the Atlanta area. Together with staff from CIC Research and Eric Shreffler (ESTC), CTE developed a questionnaire to be distributed to parents at Barnwell Elementary school in Atlanta. The survey was designed to assess awareness and attitudes about current air pollution and traffic congestion issues effecting transportation to and from school by parents and buses. CIC staff edited, coded, and keypunched the interviews for the project. The results were tabulated and delivered to CTE and the project team for further analysis.