Department of Transportation hoping for feedback after sending out thousands of surveys

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - If you've ever been stuck in traffic on the H-1 and wanted to vent to the Department of Transportation, now's your chance.  As a matter of fact, the DOT is hoping you do.

"If people get this survey, I urge them strongly, do not cast it aside or throw it away. Yes it is legitimate, please fill out the survey and send it back to us," said DOT Spokesman Tim Sakahara.

The DOT has recently sent out confidential surveys to 4,000 residents and 200 businesses on Oahu, situated along the H-1 corridor.  The purpose of the survey is to gain feedback and help the DOT prioritize projects.

The survey is 29 questions long, and is a mix of multiple choice, rank, and short answer questions.  It also offers a mea culpa for the zip mobile disaster of March 31.

"'Why aren't you doing it this way?', 'why didn't you think of this?'  This is the perfect opportunity to let the DOT know those feelings and opinions," said Sakahara.

He said the DOT is hoping for 800 resident and 600 business employee surveys to be returned. Once they're received, the firm SMS Hawaii--contracted at a price of $25,000, will tabulate the results.

While there is no matrix of just how much weight public input will matter when prioritizing projects, Sakahara says it will matter.

"All the surveys we receive will be taken into account, considered, compiled and analyzed to the very best of the abilities of the consultants that we're working with."

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