Quality of Life: Assessment for Transportation Performance Measures

Abstract

Quality of life (QOL) is a commonly used term. Defining QOL, however, is an ongoing challenge that experts \noften take on with minimal input from citizens. This groundbreaking research sought citizen input on what \ncomprised QOL and what role transportation played in it. Further, this research explored in detail the important \nfactors across the breadth of transportation and how the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) was \nperforming on these important factors. The research encompassed three phases between 2010 and 2011: (1) an \nextensive literature review on QOL, (2) 24 focus groups that asked Minnesota’s citizens about their QOL, and (3) a \nmail questionnaire about what matters in quality of life, transportation and their intersection. Eleven related quality \nof life factors emerged, including transportation: education, employment and finances, environment, housing, \nfamily, friends and neighbors, health, local amenities, recreation and entertainment, safety, spirituality/faith/ \nserenity, and transportation. Within transportation, seven important areas were identified that predicted satisfaction \nwith MnDOT services: access, design, environmental issues, maintenance, mobility, safety and transparency. \nResults reveal that a) QOL is complex and transportation plays an important and consistent role in it across \nMinnesota; b) transportation is critical to QOL because it connects us to important destinations in aspects that \nmatter most; and c) Minnesotans can readily identify what matters and how the state is performing within the \nbreadth of transportation services.

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