9.0 INTERVIEWS WITH MINNESOTA STATE PATROL OFFICERS, FIRST OPERATORS, AND BUS OPERATORS

9.1 Purpose and Approach

These interviews will target Minnesota state patrol officers responsible for enforcing the HOT lanes and the PDSL and patrolling I-35, FIRST operators responsible for responding to incidents on I-35W, and Metro Transit and MVTA bus operators using the HOT lanes, PDSL, MARQ2 lanes, and the Cedar Avenue lane guidance system. The interview questions will focus on obtaining additional insight into the overall operation of the projects, possible safety concerns, changes in traffic patterns, and reactions from bus riders and other travelers. Mn/DOT and the Metropolitan Council will determine the appropriate party to conduct the interviews.

9.2 Personnel to Interview

The Minnesota State Patrol officers, FIRST operators, and Metro Transit and MVTA bus operators to include in the interviews will be identified by Battelle team members in consultation with representatives from the State Patrol, Mn/DOT, Metro Transit, and MVTA. It is anticipated that approximately four-to-six State Patrol officers, four-to-six FIRST operators, and 10-to-20 bus operators will be interviewed. The personnel selected to be interviewed should be those assigned to the I-35W corridor from the various agencies. One-on-one interviews are recommended so that interviewees can be candid in their responses. However, it may be possible to conduct the interviews with bus operators in conjunction with a regular scheduled meeting or time when multiple operators are available.

9.3 Interview Questions

The preliminary interview questions are presented in Tables 9-1 through 9-4. Table 9-1 contains the questions for Minnesota State Patrol officers. Table 9-2 presents the interview questions for FIRST operators. Table 9-3 outlines the questions for Metro Transit and MVTA operators. Table 9-4 presents the interview question for the MVTA operators driving the shoulder-running guided buses.

Table 9-1. Interview Questions for Minnesota State Patrol Officers

Title	Question
Introduction	Explain the National UPA Evaluation purpose, scope, local partners, and sponsors. Describe the purpose and process for the interviews of Minnesota State Patrol officers. Note that the interviews are confidential. Responses will not be attributed to any individual.
I-35W HOT Lanes and PDSL Enforcement	Please describe your responsibilities related to enforcing vehicle-occupancy levels and operating requirements on the I-35W HOT lanes and the PDSL. How long have you patrolled the I-35W corridor? Were you responsible for enforcing the vehicle-occupancy requirements on the I-35W HOV lanes? Please describe how you enforce the vehicle-occupancy levels and the operating requirements on the I-35W HOT lanes and the PDSL and your experience to date. What are the most common violations and citations issued? Please describe your experience with the MnPASS toll enforcement technology, including the mobile enforcement reader. It is easy to use? It is reliable? Compared to the I-35W HOV lanes, is enforcement of the HOT lanes and PDSL easier or more difficult? Please explain why.
I-35W HOT Lanes and PDSL Operations	Based on your experience and observations, have you noticed any differences in the operation, including congestion levels, of I-35W since the change to HOT lanes and implementation of the PDSL? Based on your experience and observations, have you noticed any changes in crashes or other incidents since the change to HOT lanes and implementation of the PDSL? If so, what changes have you noticed?
Active Traffic Management – Speed Harmonization	Based on your experience and observation, have you noticed any problems or concerns with the use of active traffic management elements, including speed harmonization? Have you noticed any differences in the operation of I-35W, including congestion levels, when the speed harmonization signs are in operation? Based on your experience and observations, have you noticed any changes in incidents and crashes when the speed harmonization is in operation, including increases or decreases in the number of incidents and crashes, changes in type and severity, and changes in location?
Real-Time Transit and Traffic DMS	Based on your experience and observation, have you noticed any problems or concerns with the use of the real-time transit and traffic DMS? Have you noticed any differences in operation of I-35W, including congestion levels, with the DMS? Based on your experience and observations, have you noticed any changes in incidents and crashes when real-time transit and traffic DMS is in operation, including increases or decreases in the number of incidents and crashes, changed in type and severity, and changes in location?
Closing	Do you have any other comments about enforcement of the HOT lanes and PDSL, or the speed harmonization and real-time transit and transit DMS on the operation of I-35W?

Table 9-2. Interview Questions for FIRST Operators

Title	Question
Introduction	Explain the National UPA Evaluation purpose, scope, local partners, and sponsors. Describe the purpose and process for the interviews with FIRST operators. Note that the interviews are confidential.  Responses will not be attributed to any individual.
I-35W FIRST Response – General Responsibilities	Please describe your responsibilities as a FIRST operator. Is I-35W (north and south of downtown Minneapolis) a normal part of your assigned service area? How long have you been a FIRST operator? How long have you covered I-35W? Did you cover I-35W when the HOV lanes were in operation?
Experience with the HOT Lanes and the PDSL	Please describe your experience as a FIRST operator since the change to HOT lanes and implementation of the PDSL. Have you noticed any changes, including increases or decreases in the number of incidents and crashes, changes in the type or severity of incidents and crashes, and changes in the location of incidents and crashes? Based on your experience and observations, have you noticed any differences in the operation, including congestion levels, of I-35W since the change to HOT lanes and implementation of the PDSL? If so, please describe the changes you have noticed?
Active Traffic Management – Speed Harmonization	Based on your experience and observations, have you noticed any differences in the operation of I-35W, including congestion levels, when the speed harmonization is in operation? Based on your experience and observations, have you noticed any changes in incidents and crashes when the speed harmonization is in operation, including increases or decreases in the number of incidents and crashes, changed in type and severity, and changes in location?
Real-Time Transit and Traffic DMS	Based on your experience and observations, have you noticed any differences in the operation of I-35W, including congestion levels, when real-time transit and traffic DMS in operation? Based on your experience and observations, have you noticed any changes in incidents and crashes when real-time transit and traffic DMS is in operation, including increases or decreases in the number of incidents and crashes, changed in type and severity, and changes in location?
Closing	Do you have any other comments concerning the impact of the HOT lanes and PDSL, speed harmonization, or real-time transit and traffic DMS on the operation of I-35W?

Table 9-3. Interview Questions for Metro Transit and MVTA Operators

Title	Question
Introduction	Explain the National UPA Evaluation purpose, scope, local partners, and sponsors. Describe the purpose and process for the interviews of Metro Transit and MVTA operators. Note that the interviews are confidential. Responses will not be attributed to any individual.
I-35W HOT Lanes and PDSL Bus Operations	Please describe your responsibilities related to operating buses in the I-35W corridor, including using the I-35W HOT lanes and the PDSL. How long have you been a bus operator? How long have you driven routes in the I-35W corridor? Have you previously operated a bus in the I-394 HOT lanes? Please describe your experience operating a bus in the I-35W HOT lanes and the PDSL. Compared to the I-35W HOV lanes, is driving a bus in the HOT lanes and PDSL easier or more difficult? Please explain why. Have you received any comments from bus riders concerning the HOT lanes and PDSL? If so, what type of comments have you received?
I-35W HOT Lanes and PDSL Operations	Based on your experience and observations, have you noticed any differences in the operation, including congestion levels, of I-35W since the change to HOT lanes and implementation of the PDSL? Based on your experience and observations, have you noticed any changes in crashes or other incidents since the change to HOT lanes and implementation of the PDSL? If so, what changes have you noticed?
Active Traffic Management – Speed Harmonization	Based on your experience and observation, have you noticed any problems or concerns with the use of active traffic management elements, including speed harmonization? Have you noticed any differences in operation of I-35W, including congestion levels, when the speed harmonization is in operation? Based on your experience and observations, have you noticed any changes in incidents and crashes when the speed harmonization is in operation?
Real-Time Transit and Traffic DMS	Based on your experience and observation, have you noticed any problems or concerns with the use of real-time transit and traffic DMS, including speed harmonization? Have you noticed any differences in operation of I-35W, including congestion levels, when the speed harmonization is in operation? Based on your experience and observations, have you noticed any changes in incidents and crashes when real-time transit and traffic DMS is in operation?
MARQ2	Based on your experience and observation have you noticed any problems or concerns with use of the MARQ2 lanes in downtown Minneapolis? Have you noticed any differences in operation of buses in the downtown area? Based on your experience and observation have you noticed any changes in incidents and crashes while operating in the downtown area? Based on your experience and observation what kind of feedback have you received from passengers on the MARQ2 lanes?
Closing	Do you have any other comments about operating in the HOT lanes and PDSL or the impact of speed harmonization on the real-time transit and traffic information on the operation of I-35W?

Table 9-4. Interview Questions for MVTA Shoulder-Running Guided Bus Operators

Title	Quesetion
Introduction	Explain the National UPA Evaluation purpose, scope, local partners, and sponsors. Describe the purpose and process for the interviews with MVTA operators driving the shoulder-running guided buses. Note that the interviews are confidential. Responses will not be attributed to any individual. Explain the Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Human Subject Protection requirements, consent form, and need for signature.
I-35W HOT Lanes and PDSL	How long have you been a MVTA bus operator? How long have you driven routes on Cedar Avenue and I-35W? Please describe your responsibilities related to operating the shoulder-running guided buses. Please describe your experience operating the shoulder-running guided bus. Is the system easy or difficult to use? What feature do you like or dislike? Do you feel more comfortable operating a bus on the shoulder using the system? Please describe any reactions or comments you have had from bus riders concerning the shoulder-running guided bus.
Closing	Do you have any other comments about use of the shoulder-running guided buses?

9.4 Analysis Methods

The party identified to conduct the interviews will review the interview notes and tape recordings and will document the major comments. A summary report will be prepared highlighting the common themes emerging from the interviews, as well as the unique perspectives. The summary report will be organized by the interview questions, with a final section presenting overlying themes and tips for other projects in Minnesota and other areas.

The interview results provide additional insight into the overall operation and benefit of some of the Minnesota UPA projects. The results provide qualitative input on the various UPA projects. The results will be used to expand upon and enhance the analysis based on quantitative data collected in the other test plans.

9.5 Schedule and Responsibilities

It is recommended that the interviews with Minnesota State Patrol officers, FIRST operators, and Metro Transit and MVTA operators be conducted twice. The recommended schedule is to conduct the first set of interviews in June 2010, approximately six months after most of the Minnesota UPA projects are operational. A second set of interviews with the same individuals, as well as any new officers or operators, focusing on the complete HOT lane system and the Cedar Avenue Lane Guidance System, is recommended for April 2011.

The responsibilities for conducting and analyzing the interviews with Minnesota State Patrol officers, FIRST operators, and bus operations are outlined below.

• The party identified by Mn/DOT and the Metropolitan Council to conduct the interviews will finalize the interview questions; identify the individuals to be interviewed with the State Patrol, FIRST, Metro Transit, and MVTA; schedule and conduct the interviews; and document the results in a summary report.
• Members of the Battelle team will review the final interview questions and the list of individuals to be interviewed, review the summary report, and incorporate the interview results into the interim and final national evaluation reports.