MassDOT developed an online survey, prepared in English (Appendix B), Spanish (Appendix C) and
Chinese (Appendix D). The questionnaire was made available through a link on the South Station
Expansion website ( Link to South Station Expansion website: https://www.massdot.state.ma.us/southstationexpansion/Home.aspx
).
The questionnaire was publicized on the MassDOT blog; an email sent to the project database; printed bookmarks distributed at events and also available at the Information Desk at South Station, via a web link and advertised on the monitors at South Station. Links to the survey were also sent by the Boston
Chamber of Commerce to members of the Transportation and Development Committees and from
MASCO (Medical Academic Scientific Community Organization) to its members.
As of December 26, 2013, 730 people had accessed the questionnaire. The top referrer sites
1
were through a link via Boston Magazine (225), a link provided by MASCO (172), a direct email from MassDOT
(124), typing in the URL directly – likely via the screens at the Station or the bookmarks (75) - and the
MassDOT blog (66). While not all questions were completed in full by each respondent, the team is confident that the results provide insight into improvements to be investigated regarding amenities/features at South Station.
While the advantages of online surveys are that they save time and can provide access to diverse groups of individuals, sample issues result. All of the demographic information provided by the respondents is self-reported, and the non-response rate is difficult to estimate. For example, we do not know how many people learned about the survey and chose not to complete it. There is also a self-selection bias in terms of who responds to the questionnaire, primarily people who already know about the project, those who regularly use the station, and those who have the time or inclination to participate. It is unlikely that a
1 A referrer is the webpage a respondent visited immediately before beginning the survey.

Amenities Survey – Fall 2013 one-time visitor to South Station may even learn about the survey effort. Therefore, the results of the survey are not intended to be statistically significant, using scientific sampling methods. The results do outline some existing challenges facing MassDOT and the MBTA.
Most of the respondents who answered the survey are commuters using South Station – for either work or school (see Table 1). The second most popular reason (31%) respondents come to South Station is for leisure trips, with business trips coming in a distant third (8%). Only 28 of the respondents visit the station for shopping or food purchases.
Response Chart Percentage Count
Commuting to or from work/school
Business trip
Leisure trip
Shop at the station
Purchase food
Other, please specify...
Total Responses
51%
8%
31%
0%
4%
5%
339
52
205
3
25
36
660
The Draft Environmental Impact Report's (DEIR's) ridership counts at South Station show
2,600 Amtrak intercity passenger boardings and alightings on a typical weekday, compared to
approximately 41,700 MBTA commuter rail ones. According to the DEIR,
2 on a typical weekday, there are
54,000 boardings and alightings on the Red Line and 12,700 on the Silver Line. For buses, intercity/commuter bus boardings and alightings are approximately 12,150 on a typical weekday (similar to Silver Line numbers) and MBTA local bus transfers at South Station are 2,881.
3
In the survey, respondents were able to select multiple transportation services used at South Station (see
Table 2). Based on the actual ridership data, it appears that Amtrak users are overrepresented in the results.
2 CTPS Base Year (2009-2010) Model Results for South Station Expansion Project.
3 CTPS, South Station Expansion Project Preliminary Results of Pedestrian Transfer Matrices – Base year
(2009-2010), Transfer Activities in South Station, Dated 12/20/13
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Amenities Survey – Fall 2013
Response Chart Percentage Count
Amtrak
MBTA Commuter Rail
Intercity Bus (for example, New
York, Hyannis, Providence)
MBTA Red Line
MBTA Silver Line
MBTA bus
None
Other, please specify...
Total Responses
48%
68%
35%
78%
49%
10%
0%
3%
321
452
230
519
326
65
2
23
664
With regard to how frequently they visit South Station, respondents were unevenly distributed across the results (see Table 3). The highest percentage of respondents (36%) visit South Station infrequently – 1-3 times per month, and the second highest percentage (29%) visit the station frequently -- 5 or more times per week.
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Amenities Survey – Fall 2013
Response Chart Percentage Count
5 or more times/week
3-4 times/week
1-2 times/week
1-3 times/month
Rarely
Total Responses
29%
11%
10%
36%
14%
194
72
65
238
94
663
Half the respondents get to South Station via the MBTA Red Line (see Table 4). The next most popular method (21%) is by walking. Of the 14 individuals who answered "bicycle," 8 use their personal bike, 4 use Hubway, and 1 uses both.
Response Chart Percentage Count
Drive alone
Dropped off by auto
Walk
Carpool
Bicycle
MBTA Red Line
MBTA Silver Line
MBTA bus
2%
2%
21%
0%
2%
50%
4%
2%
331
24
12
11
12
141
1
14
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Response
Amenities Survey – Fall 2013
Chart Percentage Count
Intercity bus (for example, New
York, Hyannis, Providence)
3% 18
Taxi
Other, please specify...
1%
14%
7
91
Total Responses 662
More men than women completed the survey. Of the 307 individuals who answered the gender question,
165 indicated they were men. 139 indicated they were female. One answered "other."
Very few of the respondents were either very young (below the age of 20) or older (over 65). In fact, only 7% of respondents were in these demographic groups (see Table 5).
Response Chart Percentage Count
Under 16
16-20
0%
3%
0
14
21-30
31-40
41-50
51-65
Over 65
Total Responses
35%
19%
19%
20%
4%
170
90
94
97
20
485
Respondents were generally more affluent than MA residents as a whole. 60% of participants indicated a household income $75,000 or higher – higher than the $65,339 median household income for the
Commonwealth (2012).
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Response Chart
Amenities Survey – Fall 2013
Percentage Count
Less than $35,000
$35,000 - $74,999
$75,000 - $124,999
11%
29%
27%
50
136
124
$125,000 or more
Total Responses
33% 153
463
The following maps reveal where travelers are typically traveling when they use South Station.
Respondents provided their zip codes and that information was geocoded. The first map demonstrates that while the majority of respondents are Massachusetts based, the responses include respondents along the entire Northeast Corridor as well as north to Maine.
Zooming in to a map highlighting the New England region (Figure 2), respondents were mainly clustered around Eastern Massachusetts, which is to be expected, as the majority of respondents are commuter rail passengers.
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Amenities Survey – Fall 2013
The survey was available in three languages – English, Spanish, and Chinese. One respondent completed the Chinese-version of the questionnaire. The rest were completed in English. When asked if English was the language spoken predominantly at home, only 10 respondents indicated it was not.
4
Respondents were asked to select the most important reason they use transportation services at South
Station (see Table 7). The most popular response (at 30%) was to "avoid driving in traffic." The second most popular response was because a car was not available (at 11%). This suggests that while many respondents are reliant on rail or bus options, most choose to use the transportation services. (See Table
A-1 in the Appendix
5
for the open-ended responses given by respondents who selected "other.")
4 Respondents listed the following languages as those spoken at home: Creole, Cantonese, Russian, Spanish
(3), Other, Telugu, and Vietnamese.
5 The Appendix is available on request.
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Amenities Survey – Fall 2013
Response Chart Percentage Count
A car is not available.
I am unable to drive.
It is expensive to park my car at my destination.
I want to avoid driving in traffic.
It is the cheapest option.
It is the fastest option.
It is the most reliable option.
It is better for the environment.
It provides me time to relax/work/read/listen to music.
Other, please specify...
Total Responses
11%
3%
10%
31%
9%
7%
4%
8%
10%
8%
153
42
35
21
37
47
54
17
48
37
491
We asked respondents to rate their satisfaction with today's South Station features on a 4-point scale from
"Very Satisfied" to "Very Unsatisfied." Respondents could also note if they "Didn't Know" or were "Not
Sure." For the analytical purposes, these responses were combined into general "Satisfaction" and
"Dissatisfaction" ratings (see Table 8).
Respondents expressed the most satisfaction regarding the following features: sense of personal safety and security (81% satisfied); ease of finding ways to points of interest inside the station (75%); and convenience of ticket purchasing and pickup options (73%). Other features that respondents expressed satisfaction with include connections between modes of transport (69%) and cleanliness and maintenance of the facility (69%).
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Amenities Survey – Fall 2013
Respondents expressed the most dissatisfaction regarding the restrooms
6
(60% dissatisfied) and the quality of the retail shops (47% dissatisfied).
Satisfied Unsatisfied Don't
Know/Not Sure
Total
Responses
Access to pay phones 100 (17%)
Automobile parking 88 (15%)
Availability of information in multiple languages and formats
145 (25%)
Bicycle parking
Cleanliness and maintenance
Connections between modes of transport
(Silver Line, Red Line,
Bus Terminal)
117 (21%)
395 (69%)
398 (69%)
Convenience of ticket purchasing/pickup options
Curbside dropoff/pickup
Ease of finding your way inside the station
Ease of finding your way to points of interest outside the station
415 (73%)
200 (35%)
430 (75%)
324 (57%)
20 (4%)
98 (17%)
44 (8%)
92 (16%)
169 (30%)
158 (28%)
108 (19%)
177 (31%)
130 (23%)
172 (30%)
456 (79%)
388 (68%)
383 (67%)
362 (63%)
8 (1%)
17 (3%)
49 (9%)
194 (34%)
10 (2%)
76 (13%)
576
574
572
571
572
573
572
571
570
572
6 The majority of respondents took this survey prior to the restroom renovation at the station. It would be interesting to see if this response changes over time.
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Amenities Survey – Fall 2013
Satisfied Unsatisfied Don't
Know/Not Sure
Total
Responses
388 (68%) 571 Overall accessibility for people with disabilities
121 (21%)
Pedestrian access from other parts of the city
391 (68%)
Public art/exhibits
Quality of cafes/restaurants
218 (38%)
159 (28%)
Quality of information provided about schedules, platforms, transportation services, delays, etc.
387 (68%)
Quality of retail shops 159 (28%)
Restrooms (number, condition, amenities)
165 (29%)
Sense of personal safety and security
461 (81%)
Wifi 137 (24%)
62 (11%)
109 (19%)
169 (30%)
258 (45%)
153 (27%)
268 (47%)
345 (60%)
92 (16%)
72 (13%)
185 (32%)
28 (5%)
31 (5%)
145 (25%)
61 (11%)
18 (3%)
572
572
572
571
572
571
571
145 (25%) 288 (51%) 570
We also checked these results by mode to see if satisfaction levels changed based upon the service
(Amtrak, MBTA Commuter Rail, Intercity Bus, MBTA local bus, MBTA Red Line and MBTA Silver
Line) respondents used. While the majority of results were consistent across modes, there were a few differences.
For "Connections between modes of transport," satisfaction levels are much lower for use of intercity bus,
Amtrak, and MBTA Commuter Rail. For all respondents, 69% showed satisfaction with the current connections (see Table 8). As Table 9 shows, though, this varies by mode. Amtrak, Intercity bus, and
MBTA bus users expressed much lower satisfaction levels than users of other modes.
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Amenities Survey – Fall 2013
Satisfied Unsatisfied Don't
Know/Not Sure
Total
Responses
Amtrak 169 (63%)
MBTA Commuter Rail 270 (71%)
Intercity Bus
MBTA Bus
123 (61%)
33 (64%)
MBTA Red Line
MBTA Silver Line
311 (70%)
212 (73%)
94 (35%)
104 (27%)
76 (38%)
19 (37%)
127 (29%)
79 (27%)
6 (2%)
9 (2%)
2 (1%)
0 (0%)
4 (1%)
0 (0%)
269
383
201
52
442
291
Another difference in satisfaction observable by mode was the satisfaction with convenience of ticketing for users of the intercity buses. For those respondents, dissatisfaction levels were at 24%, compared to the overall rate of 19%.
MBTA bus users also expressed much higher levels of satisfaction (27%) with accessibility for people with disabilities compared to the overall rate of 21%.
In the online survey, respondents were also asked if their use of the station would increase if different improvements were made to features. Respondents were asked to rate the likelihood on a five-point scale, from "Extremely Unlikely," "Unlikely," "Neutral," "Likely," to "Extremely Likely." For analytical purposes, the "Extremely Likely" and "Likely" responses were combined (below) into a "Likely" measure and the "Unlikely" and "Extremely Unlikely" responses were combined into an "Unlikely" measure (see
Table 10.
The changes that were most likely to increase use of the station were the quality of cafes and restaurants
(72% more likely to use the station), improvements in connections between other modes of transport
(64%), improvements to the quality of the restrooms (64%), and improved phone/laptop charging areas
(62%).
Unlikely Neutral Likely Total Responses
Access to pay phones
335 (65%)
Automobile parking 250 (48%)
163 (32%)
170 (33%)
19 (4%)
97 (19%)
517
517
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Unlikely
Availability of information in multiple languages and formats
Bicycle parking
Cleanliness and maintenance
Connections between other modes of transport
(Silver Line, Red
Line, Bus Terminal)
264 (36%)
193 (37%)
60 (12%)
45 (9%)
Convenience of ticket purchasing/pickup options
Curbside dropoff/pickup
73 (14%)
119 (23%)
Ease of finding your way inside the station
78 (15%)
Ease of finding your way to points of interest outside the station
78 (15%)
Overall accessibility for people with disabilities
131 (25%)
Pedestrian access from other parts of the city
83 (16%)
Neutral
225 (44%)
Likely
27 (4%)
Amenities Survey – Fall 2013
Total Responses
516
200 (39%)
167 (%)
140 (27%)
124 (24%)
290 (56%)
333 (64%)
517
517
518
197 (38%) 247 (48%) 517
216 (42%)
234 (45%)
181 (35%)
204 (40%)
516
516
235 (46%) 203 (39%) 516
304 (59%) 81 (16%) 516
202 (39%) 231 (45%) 516
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Amenities Survey – Fall 2013
Unlikely
Phone/laptop charging areas
65 (13%)
Public art/exhibits 104 (20%)
Quality of cafes/restaurants
47 (9%)
Quality of information provided about schedules, platforms, transportation services, delays, etc.
54 (10%)
Quality of retail shops
82 (16%)
Neutral
133 (26%)
187 (36%)
96 (19%)
159 (31%)
143 (28%)
Likely
317 (62%)
224 (43%)
373 (72%)
302 (59%)
291 (56%)
Total Responses
515
515
516
515
516
Restrooms
(number, condition, amenities)
53 (10%)
Sense of personal safety and security
54 (10%)
134 (26%)
194 (38%)
329 (64%)
267 (52%)
516
515
Wifi 57 (11%) 154 (30%) 303 (59%) 514
Respondents were also asked to answer an open-ended question regarding improvements to the station
(see Table A-5). Consistently, the quality of the restrooms was mentioned as needing improvement.
Also, respondents discussed the need for improvement connections – between the two parts of the Silver
Line, between the station and the bus terminal, between North and South Station. Better way finding within the parts of the station was also mentioned consistently.
Respondents also discussed the need to improve the waiting areas – more space, more places to sit. As the main concourse is filled with more shops, there are fewer places to wait. Respondents also complained about the intrusion of the screens on the waiting area space.
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Amenities Survey – Fall 2013
Generally speaking, respondents to the questionnaire seem reasonably satisfied with their current experience in South Station. Problem areas, including the quality of the restrooms and the quality of the retail shops, could be addressed. The restroom quality has been addressed, and feedback will be sought in future surveys on these changes. The responses also seem to indicate that users of different modes have different experiences – especially with regard to the ease of connections between modes.
It does seem likely that improvements in amenities in key areas (restrooms, cafes/restaurants, phone/laptop charging areas) could increase use of the station by commuters, travelers and those working and living in the area.
MassDOT will share the data from the survey with the architects and planners addressing amenities, way finding, accessibility and other uses of the enhanced station. While future surveys are likely to address additional topics, MassDOT will track some issues for repeat testing to see if there are changes based on improvements and/or users of various modes.
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