Mobility of MSUM Faculty and Staff
Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) is a major employer in the Fargo-Moorhead area. A transit survey was developed to determine faculty and staff transportation needs and to explore options and opportunities in meeting those needs. A letter was then emailed asking MSUM faculty and staff to participate in the survey. Response to the survey included 115 respondents consisting of almost exactly half faculty and half staff members.
The results for the faculty and staff are presented in four main sections. These include: 1) location questions such as distance faculty and staff live from campus; 2) current mobility issues such as access to motor vehicles; 3) utilization of MAT; and 4) campus accommodations for transit.
Location Results
The survey results revealed that greater than 75 percent of respondents live less than five miles from campus (Figure 7.1). A high percentage, (35 percent), live between two and five miles and given the size of the Fargo-Moorhead area, residents who live within a three-mile radius of the MSUM campus should have access to the Metropolitan Area Transit (MAT) routes.
Figure 7.1 Distance Faculty & Staff Live from Campus (n=115)
The majority of faculty and staff indicated they travel from home before arriving on campus (95.65 percent), and almost all of the other respondents (2.61 percent) indicated they travel to MSUM from child care locations (Figure 7.2).
Figure 7.2 Locations Most Often Traveled From (n=115)
Thirty-four percent of faculty and staff reported being on-campus before 8 a.m. (Figure 7.3). More than 90 percent of faculty and staff indicated they are on-campus between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Figure 7.3 Times When Faculty/Staff are On Campus (n=115)
We asked three questions relevant to travel mode to campus. First, we asked faculty and staff how they most frequently travel to campus. Second, we asked if their travel mode changed during the winter. Finally, we asked what factors influenced their mode choice.
Almost 90 percent of respondents indicated they drive their vehicle to campus (Figure 7.4). Fewer than 14 percent of survey respondents indicated they bike or walk to campus and just over 5 percent indicated they take a MAT bus to campus.
Figure 7.4 Travel Mode to Campus (n=115)
Almost 25 percent of faculty/staff respondents indicated they choose a different mode of travel during the winter (Figure 7.5). Some may choose to ride the MAT as opposed to riding their bike or walking during the winter months.
Figure 7.5 Percent That Change Mode During Winter (n=115)
Convenience, time and parking availability are the greatest factors that influence the mode choice of MSUM faculty and staff (Figure 7.6). The survey question asked faculty and staff to indicate the level of importance each of the factors had on influencing mode choice for travel to and from campus.
Figure 7.6 Influences on Mode of Travel (n=115)
Seventy-five percent of faculty and staff respondents make two one-way trips to campus per day, equivalent to one round-trip each day. Using public transportation or riding in car pools. would be more accommodating for those faculty and staff making one round trip to and from campus per day.
Parking lots used by surveyed faculty and staff members (Figure 7.7) show that the C and W1 lots are used by more than 50 percent of respondents.
Figure 7.7 Parking Lots Used by Survey Respondents (n=81)
Current Mobility
We asked questions to gain insight into faculty and staff current mobility. This section contains responses to questions about access to motor vehicles, ownership of parking permits, attitudes toward parking convenience and cost.
Most of the faculty and staff surveyed have access to a motor vehicle (95 percent). Sixty-nine percent of respondents indicated they owned parking permits. This shows that many faculty and staff do not park in the MSUM parking lots either choosing not to or due to a lack of available parking permits.
Faculty and staff perceptions toward parking convenience were then analyzed. Approximately 60 percent of respondents indicated they felt parking convenience on campus was good, whereas 43 percent of respondents indicated parking convenience was either poor or fair (Figure 7.8).
Figure 7.8 Parking Convenience (n=115)
Approximately 35 percent of respondents indicated they thought parking costs were affordable, whereas 36 percent considered parking affordability poor with 29 percent considering parking affordability fair (Figure 7.9).
Figure 7.9 Parking Cost (n=115)