Research and Needs Assessment

Susan Bregman has used qualitative and quantitative research techniques to identify community needs and to support program decisions. She has used survey data to define market segments and she has conducted focus groups and stakeholder interviews to assess community needs. Here are some representative projects.

• Oak Square Resources is currently participating in a project for the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) that is exploring how transit agencies can use web-based feedback to improve services.
• Susan recently completed a TCRP research synthesis to look at how transit agencies use social media. Research included an online survey and selected case studies to document the state of the practice in the U.S. and Canada.
• Oak Square Resources was part of the team conducting a multi-year evaluation of the Job Access and Reverse Commute and New Freedom grant programs for the Federal Transit Administration. As part of this effort, Susan worked directly with program grantees to identify opportunities for streamlining the data collection process. She also completed a series of case studies to identify successful strategies for job-access transportation on behalf of the Community Transportation Association of America.
• Oak Square Resources participated on a team conducting a telephone survey of riders and non-riders for the Chicago Transit Authority. Responsibilities included survey analysis and quality assurance.
• For TCRP, Oak Square Resources was a key player on a project to identify strategies to motivate communities to support transit. Susan completed an extensive literature review and conducted a series of telephone interviews to support the project’s quantitative research.
• Susan was previously the principal investigator for a TCRP study that used case studies, focus groups, and a comprehensive literature review to document best practices in welfare-to-work transportation. As deputy project manager for another federal study, she led a series of focus groups to identify customer preferences for advanced transit information systems. She evaluated findings from a telephone survey among rural residents to determine whether advanced technology would encourage them to try local transit services. And, using data from an on-board survey, she developed strategies for crosstown bus routes in Dallas and its suburbs.

Oak Square Resources can assist you in the following areas:

• Transit needs assessment
• Survey analysis
• Stakeholder interviews and meeting facilitation
• Literature reviews
• Case studies
• Online survey development

Please contact us to see how we can help you.