Fort Pitt Detours Meet and Exceed Driver Expectation

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Fort Pitt Detours Meet and Exceed Driver Expectation
  Results From PENNDOT Survey Show Motorists Favored Up-Front Communications

    PITTSBURGH, June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- 71 percent of Pittsburgh motorists
said the impact of the closing of the Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel was better
than or as expected according to a recent PENNDOT survey held on epenndot.com.
    "Motorists provided PENNDOT vital feedback on this year's closing, laying
the groundwork for next year's communications strategy regarding the closing
of the inbound lanes of the Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel," said Dick Skrinjar,
PENNDOT's deputy press secretary.
    The survey, posted on epenndot.com, Pittsburgh's official construction web
site, was conducted from May 24 to June 10 among the more than 3900 ePartners
and the 1,145 daily visitors to the web site.  The results show a snapshot of
the typical motorist of the region.
    Motorists responding said that 52 percent felt their commute time did not
change or their commute increased no more than ten minutes due to the designed
detours.  69 percent of respondents said they use the designed detours
including the West End Bridge, Liberty Bridge and the Boulevard of the Allies
to Liberty Bridge routes.
    According to survey results, motorists said the most effective
communications tools used by PENNDOT included epenndot.com, overhead messages
signs on both the Parkway East and West and email alerts regarding
construction.  42 percent of responding motorists felt that epenndot.com was
the most effective Pittsburgh web site regarding the project.  Additionally,
17 percent felt thepittsburghchannel.com was effective while 11 percent chose
coneman.info as a useful tool regarding project information.
    "Based on this information, we know that our strategy of informing the
public in advance of the construction start and posting the alternate routes
was effective and useful to motorists," adds Skrinjar.
    The recent increase in work zone related crashes prompted the department
to ask motorists what the major contributing factors to crashes were.  Answers
include 39 percent of respondents felt that driver ability was the main factor
while speed of vehicle (19 percent), cell phone use (14 percent), conditions
of roadways (12 percent) and driver inattention to warning signs (10 percent)
also contributed to the escalation.
    The Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel are expected to reopen August 31, 2002.
For more information on the project visit epenndot.com or call 1-877-450-4279.
SOURCE PENNDOT
http://www.epenndot.com
CONTACT:
Dick Skrinjar of PENNDOT, +1-877-450-4279