Ottumwa Regional Legacy Foundation (ORLF), in partnership with Iowa State University (ISU) and ISU Extension and Outreach, will be sending surveys to a random sample of households in Wapello County. The surveys are part of a study on how transportation impacts residents’ abilities to access essential services in Ottumwa and Wapello County.
Past studies indicate that transportation issues can significantly impact access to healthcare, childcare, fresh and nutritious food, education, and other essential services. Through ORLF’s commitment to making the City of Ottumwa and Wapello County good places to live and work, along with ISU’s mission to use research and outreach to improve the quality of life of Iowans, this study aims to identify transportation-related problems so that solutions can be generated to better serve the community.
For the first phase of the study, surveys will be sent to randomly-selected households in mid-March. ORLF and ISU ask that responses be sent back by March 31, 2016. While participation is voluntary, ORLF and ISU ask that each sampled household complete only one survey. Each sampled household that submits a completed survey will be automatically entered into a raffle to win a free $50 gift card. “Responses from the Wapello County community are critical for this study,” says Dr. Carlton Basmajian, Associate Professor of Community and Regional Planning at ISU. “The information residents provide will help us assess the existing situation.”
Once the survey phase is complete, there will be opportunities for some survey respondents to voluntarily participate in brief in-person interviews. This process will lead to deeper information on how transportation impacts access to essential services. Each interview participant will receive a gift card as a token of appreciation. For those interested, more information will be provided on the survey.
For questions, the principal investigator of the study, Dr. Basmajian, can be contacted at carlton@iastate.edu or by phone at 515 294-6942.
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