Developing Snow Performance Measures for Public Information

Details

• Creators:
  Khanal, Shailendra ; Singleton, Patrick A.
• Corporate Creators:
  Utah State University. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Corporate Contributors:
  Utah Department of Transportation ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Information Dissemination Performance Measurement Snow Winter Maintenance
• Publication/ Report Number:
  UT-25.06
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report September 2023 to July 2025
• Corporate Publisher:
  Utah Department of Transportation
• Abstract:
  This research examines public satisfaction with winter road maintenance (WRM) and transportation behaviors during snow events in Utah, with the goal of informing more transparent, responsive, and data-driven strategies and public communication. A detailed online survey of 568 residents across six distinct geographic zones captured public perceptions following two major winter storms in 2024. Survey responses were integrated with data from UDOT’s Road Weather Information System (RWIS) to analyze how subjective experiences aligned with objective storm metrics. Findings from ordered and binary logit models reveal that satisfaction with WRM is not strongly influenced by perceived snowfall or storm intensity, but rather by personal and household factors. Satisfaction tended to be higher among younger-to-middle-aged adults, men, students, non-workers, and those in middle-income households. Travel behavior was shaped by both demographic factors and storm timing, with most respondents opting for personal vehicles—highlighting the continued importance of reliable road maintenance. Active and public transportation modes were used infrequently, often constrained by environmental conditions and infrastructure access. Importantly, perceived storm severity largely aligned with RWIS data, validating the public’s awareness and reinforcing the value of integrating public sentiment into WRM evaluation dashboards. Also, people were most satisfied with WRM by UDOT and on major roads and highways; the facilities that were also prioritized by respondents. This study offers actionable recommendations to UDOT, including prioritizing critical areas, coordinating with other agencies, integrating advanced technologies, and continuing to enhance communications and public feedback mechanisms to reflect both lived experiences and operational effectiveness.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  248255
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c0d4bcc02e8af813d618a31ca5396a82a2280ccc50562e6426b23fdd6f5b8238bedb50c7e347c2b2df60e3ded5d32ca6af046e41e35c7b9c06d9551a3db54188
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/88344/dot_88344_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.19 MB ]