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<br />project with a raised median. To <br />compare customer perceptions to <br />those of business owners, the <br />researchers surveyed customers <br />along the College Station corridor. <br />For further comparisons, the team <br />conducted interviews with business <br />owners in Amarillo, Texas, at <br />locations where raised medians <br />were removed at intersections <br />because of the concerns of those <br />same businesses. <br />The final recommended <br />methodology developed and tested <br />throughout the project includes the <br />following steps: <br />1. Identify Sites (Cities) with Potential <br />Corridors: Find test corridors where <br />a rai'sed median was installed in the <br />last six years. For comparison, two <br />case study corridors (Port Arthur <br />and Amarillo) were located where a <br />raised median was removed. <br />2. Identify Corridor Characteristics: <br />Investigate site characteristics such <br />as construction time periods, types <br />of abutting development, amount of <br />abutting undeveloped land, and <br />roadway geometry for site selection. <br />3. Contact Sources of Information: <br />Local appraisal districts were <br />contacted for information regarding <br />property value trends. The Chamber <br />of Commerce' or- neignborhood <br />associations not only provided <br />information, but also helped the <br />researchers make contact with the <br />businesses through letters of support <br />for the research effort. This . <br />improved sample sizes. <br />4. Inventory Businesses and <br />Establishments along the Subject <br />Corridor: A windshield survey was <br />performed in which contact <br />information for the business owners <br />along the corridor was recorded. <br />Corridor and business details such <br />as parcel location, site circulation, <br />driveway locations, and median <br />opening locations were also noted. <br />5, Obtain Non-Survey Information <br /> <br />Summary <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />about Businesses: Trends in property <br />values were collected from the <br />appraisal district. Employment <br />trend data were collected from the <br />Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) <br />while property value and gross sales <br />information were collected from the <br />Texas Comptroller of Public <br />Accounts to compare corridor <br />trends with trends in the city, <br />county, and state. <br />6. Prioritize Businesses to be Surveyed: <br />Businesses to be surveyed were <br />identified. Business parcels which <br />were less retail-oriented were not <br />surveyed (e.g., city office <br />buildings, churches). <br />7. Collect Survey Data: The researchers <br />performed scheduled personal <br />interviews with business owners. <br />Some mail-out surveys were <br />performed at selected corridors in <br />an effort to provide additional <br />sample size without a significant <br />added cost. Customer surveys were <br />also performed in the fourth year <br />of the project. <br />8. Analyze and Summarize Data: <br />Researchers analyzed collected data. <br /> <br />What We <br />One of the greatest challenges to <br />Texas Department of Transportation <br />(TxDOT) staff has been responding <br />to business managers and property <br />owners regarding potential economic <br /> <br /> <br />100.0 <br /> <br />910 <br /> <br />00.0 <br /> <br />.. <br />C! <br />.g 70..0 <br />C <br />o <br />~ 60.0 <br />" <br />a: <br />_ 50.0 <br />o <br />C! <br />~ 40.0 <br />~ <br />" <br />... 30.0 <br /> <br />20.0 <br /> <br />iO.O <br /> <br />0.0 <br /> <br />.eellllt <br /> <br />impacts of raised medians. This <br />research provided many findings <br />. that may help alleviate concerns <br />regarding raised median installation. <br />Key points include the following: <br />. When asked to rank factors that <br />affect customers frequenting their <br />businesses, business owners <br />generally ranked "accessibility to <br />store" below customer service, <br />product quality, and product price. <br />According to business owners, the <br />most important elements used by <br />customers when deciding where to <br />shop or eat are factors controlled by <br />the business owners themselves. Tn <br />surveys of customers at five selected <br />businesses along the Texas Avenue <br />corridor in College Station, customers <br />ranked "accessibility to store" in <br />much the same way as the business <br />owners. <br />. When combining all business types <br />together, the research found that <br />business owners who were present <br />before, during, and after the median <br />installation felt that their regular <br />customers would be likely to continue <br />to use their businesses. In contrast, <br />those businesses that were <br />interviewed prior to the installation <br />of the raised median thought their <br />customers would be less likely to <br />continue to use their businesses. <br />Therefore, for the case studies <br />investigated in this pr<;>ject, the <br /> <br />aTraffic'Coflgellllon <br />pT,aff"tc.:Sa(ety" <br />I:lPraperty,Acc9SS <br />nBusinllSlt()pportunitin <br />.G.uslomoil'Sati:.factlon <br />aOlljiYe:ry:Convenieno:e <br /> <br />TlIij-Sltme <br /> <br />WOfSll <br /> <br />Figure 2. Raised median impacts of interest for businesses present before, <br />during, and after median installation <br /> <br />-2- <br />