Fit for the Future and for Purpose Netta Maciver Principal Reporter/Chief Executive
2015 DirectionFinder® Survey€¦ · Executive Summary . Arlington County DirectionFinder®...
Transcript of 2015 DirectionFinder® Survey€¦ · Executive Summary . Arlington County DirectionFinder®...
2015 DirectionFinder® Survey
Final Report
conducted for
Arlington County, Virginia
by
ETC Institute 725 West Frontier
Olathe, Kansas 66061
(913) 829-1215
June 2015
Contents
Section 1: Executive Summary .................................................... 1 Section 2: Charts and Trends ....................................................... 8 Section 3: Benchmarking Data .................................................. 45 Section 4: Importance-Satisfaction Analysis ............................. 58 Section 5: GIS Maps .................................................................. 80 Section 6: Composite Performance Index ................................ 140 Section 7: Tabular Data ........................................................... 143 Section 8: Survey Instrument ................................................... 179
Section 1:
Executive Summary
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
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Arlington County DirectionFinder® Survey
Executive Summary
Purpose and Methodology
Purpose. ETC Institute administered a comprehensive customer satisfaction survey for Arlington
County, Virginia, during the spring of 2015. The purpose of the survey was to assess citizen
satisfaction with the quality of a wide range of county services, including: police, fire, public
transportation, trash collection, libraries, code enforcement, street maintenance, communication, and
many others. The survey contained many of the same questions that were included in the County’s
last comprehensive customer satisfaction assessments, which were conducted in 2004, 2008 and
2012.
Methodology. A seven-page
survey was mailed to a random
sample of households in
Arlington County in April 2015.
Approximately seven days after
the surveys were mailed,
residents who received the
survey were contacted by phone.
Those who indicated that they
had not returned the survey were
given the option of completing it
by phone or on the Internet. The
survey was administered in both
English and Spanish. Of the
households that received a
survey, a total of 1,512
completed surveys. The overall
results for the random sample of
1,512 households have a 95%
level of confidence with a
precision of at least +/- 2.5%.
In order to better understand how well services are being delivered by the county, ETC Institute
geocoded the home address of respondents to the survey. The map above shows the physical
distribution of survey respondents based on the location of their home. The results for selected
questions are shown by Census Block Group in the maps provided in Section 5 of this report.
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The percentage of “don’t know” responses has been excluded from many of the graphs shown in this
report to facilitate valid comparisons of the results from Arlington County with the results from
other communities in ETC Institute’s DirectionFinder® database. Since the number of “don’t
know” responses often reflects the utilization and awareness of county services, the percentage of
“don’t know” responses has been provided in the tabular data section of this report.
This report contains:
a summary of the methodology for administering the survey and major findings
charts showing the overall results for most questions on the survey along with trends from
2004 and 2012
benchmarking data that show how the results for Arlington County compare to other
communities
importance-satisfaction analysis that identifies opportunities for improvement
maps that show the results of selected questions by Census Block Group
a composite performance index
frequency distributions for all questions on the survey
a copy of the survey instrument.
Crosstabulations, which show differences in the results based on the demographic characteristics of
the respondents (such as age, ethnicity, gender and income) are published in a separate appendix to
this report.
Overall Findings
Overall Satisfaction with County Services Rated Significantly Above the National
Average. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of the residents surveyed who had an opinion were
satisfied (rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) with the overall quality of services provided by
the county. This was 32% above the national average of 57%. Arlington County also rated
above the national average in 45 of the 51 areas that were assessed against national averages.
Services that Residents Thought Were Most Important to Improve. The major
categories of county services that residents thought were most important for the County to
improve over the next two years were: the maintenance of county streets and the
management of traffic flow on county streets.
Satisfaction with the Overall Quality of Life in Arlington County Rated Significantly
Above the National Average. Ninety percent (90%) of the residents surveyed who had an
opinion were satisfied (rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) with the quality of life in
Arlington County. This was 11% above the national average of 79%.
Arlington County is Moving in the Right Direction. Satisfaction with County services
improved or stayed the same in 62 of the 101 areas that were assessed in both 2012 and
2015.
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Findings by Area
Public Works Services. The public works services that residents who had an opinion were
most satisfied with (rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) were: the adequacy of street lighting
in commercial areas (79%), the cleanliness of County streets and other public areas (78%)
and the maintenance of County buildings (76%). Residents thought the maintenance of
major streets and the maintenance of neighborhood streets were the most important
environmental services for the County to improve over the next two years.
o Trends in Public Works Service Ratings. Satisfaction ratings improved or stayed the
same in 4 of the public works service areas rated in both 2012 and 2015. There was
one significant increase (increase of 3% or more) in satisfaction ratings in the public
works services rated from 2012: mowing and trimming of County land in public
areas (+5%). There were two significant decreases (decreases of 3% or more) in the
following areas: maintenance of major streets (-9%) and maintenance of
neighborhood streets (-9%).
Utility Services. Ninety-one percent (91%) of the residents surveyed who had an opinion
were satisfied (rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) with the overall quality of residential trash
collection services. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of those surveyed were satisfied with the
quality of curbside recycling services. Residents thought that drinking water and wastewater
treatment services were the two most important utility services for the County to emphasize
over the next two years.
o Trends in Utility Service Ratings. Satisfaction ratings improved or stayed the same
in 3 of the 5 utility service areas rated in both 2012 and 2015. There was one
significant increase (increase of 3% or more) in utility services rated from 2012:
drinking water services (+4%). There was one significant decrease (decrease of 3%
or more): yardwaste removal services (-5%).
Public Safety. Ninety-one (91%) of the residents surveyed who had an opinion were
satisfied (rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) with the quality of local fire protection.
Ninety-one percent (91%) of those surveyed were satisfied with the quality of emergency
medical/ambulance service. The public safety services that residents felt were most
important for the County to emphasize over the next two years were: the County’s efforts to
prevent crime, overall quality of local police service, and enforcement of local traffic laws.
o Trends in Public Safety Service Ratings. Satisfaction ratings improved or stayed the
same in 5 of the 7 public safety areas rated in both 2012 and 2015. There were no
significant increases or decreases in satisfaction with public safety services rated
from 2012.
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Perceptions of Safety in the County. Residents generally felt safe in Arlington County.
Most (97%) of those surveyed who had an opinion felt safe (rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point
scale) in their neighborhood during the day and 92% had an overall feeling of safety in the
County.
o Trends in the Perception of Safety Ratings. Satisfaction ratings improved or stayed
the same in all of the safety areas rated in both 2012 and 2015. There were no
significant increases or decreases in satisfaction with safety rated from 2012.
Parks, Recreation, Sports and Arts. The parks, recreation, sports and arts items that
residents were most satisfied with (rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) were: walking and
biking trails in the County (87%), maintenance of County parks (86%), and outdoor athletic
fields (81%). Residents felt efforts to preserve nature in the County was the most important
area of parks, recreation, sports and arts for the County to improve over the next two years.
o Trends in Park, Recreation and Art Service Ratings. Satisfaction ratings either
stayed the same or improved in 7 of the 12 parks, recreation, sports and art services
rated in both 2012 and 2015. The services with significant increases (increases of
3% or more) in satisfaction ratings from 2012 were: sports programs (+6%) and
outdoor athletic fields (+3%). The services with significant decreases (decreases of
3% or more) in satisfaction ratings from 2012 were: efforts to preserve nature in the
County (-4%), visual/performing arts programming and facilities (-3%) and off-leash
dog areas (-3%).
Customer Service. More than half (53%) of those surveyed had contacted the County
during the past year. Of those who had contacted the County, 80% were satisfied (rating of 4
or 5 on a 5-point scale) with how easy employees were to contact; 80% were satisfied with
the courtesy and professionalism of county employees, and 75% were satisfied with the
knowledge and technical competence of employees.
o Trends in Customer Service Ratings. There were no significant increases or
decreases in satisfaction with customer service rated from 2012.
Transportation. More than three-fourths (76%) of the residents surveyed who had an
opinion were satisfied (rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) with the availability of bike trails
and bike lanes in Arlington County; 74% were satisfied with the ease of traveling within
Arlington County, and 74% were satisfied with the quality of Arlington’s public transit
system (ART).
o Trends in Transportation Service Ratings. Satisfaction ratings improved or stayed
the same in all transportation services rated from 2012. Services that showed
significant increases (increases of 3% or more) in satisfaction were: quality of
Arlington’s public transit system (+11%), availability of transportation for persons
with disabilities (+10%), pedestrian safety in other areas (+6%), availability of bike
trails and bike lanes (+3%), pedestrian safety in neighborhoods (+3%), and
availability of sidewalks (+3%).
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ETC Institute (2015) Page 5
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Code Enforcement. More than half (60%) of the residents surveyed who had an opinion
were satisfied (rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) with the County’s efforts to enforce the
exterior maintenance of business property and 57% were satisfied with the County’s efforts
to enforce the exterior maintenance of residential property. Less than half (47%) of the
residents surveyed who had an opinion were satisfied (rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale)
with the County’s efforts to enforce construction site conditions, and 46% were satisfied
with the County’s efforts to enforce noise regulations. Residents thought the enforcement of
noise regulations and enforcing construction site conditions were the two most important
areas of code enforcement for the County to improve over the next two years.
o Trends in Code Enforcement Ratings. Satisfaction ratings improved or stayed the
same in all of the code enforcement areas rated in both 2012 and 2015. The code
enforcement services with significant increases (increases of 3% or more) in
satisfaction ratings were: enforcing exterior maintenance of business property (+3%)
and enforcing maintenance of residential property (+3%).
County Communications. Seventy-four percent (74%) of the residents surveyed who had
an opinion were satisfied (rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) with the quality of information
on the County’s website; 71% were satisfied with the quality of the County’s newsletter, and
69% were satisfied with the availability of information on County programs and services.
o Trends in Communication Ratings. Satisfaction ratings improved or stayed the same
in 4 of the 6 communication areas rated in both 2012 and 2015. There was one
significant increase (increase of 3% or more) in communication services rated from
2012: the County’s Facebook and Twitter sites (+5%). There was a significant
decrease (decrease of 3% or more) in satisfaction ratings for the availability of
information on programs and services (-4%).
Library Services. Seventy percent (70%) of the residents surveyed indicated that they had
visited a County library during the past year. Of those who had used a library, 90% were
satisfied (rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) with the customer service effectiveness of in-
person services; 86% were satisfied with the depth and range of library collections. The
library service that residents felt was most important to improve over the next two years was
the depth and range of library collections.
o Trends in Library Service Ratings. Satisfaction ratings improved or stayed the same
in all of the library service areas rated in both 2012 and 2015. There were four
significant increases (increases of 3% or more) in services rated in both 2012 and
2015: hours libraries are open (+8%), programs for children (+5%),
computer/technology services (+5%), and notifications about what is happening in
the library (+3%).
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ETC Institute (2015) Page 6
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Health and Human Services. The health and human services that residents who had an
opinion were most satisfied with (rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) were: the cleanliness
and safety of food in restaurants (84%) and the availability of services to seniors (67%).
Residents thought efforts to preserve and increase affordable housing was the most important
health and human service for the County to improve over the next two years.
o Trends in Health and Human Service Ratings. There were increases in satisfaction
ratings in 3 of the health and human services rated in both 2012 and 2015. The
service that showed a significant increase (increase of 3% or more) in satisfaction
from 2012 was the availability of services to the unemployed (+3%). There was one
significant decrease in satisfaction from 2012: efforts to preserve/increase affordable
housing (-4%).
Opportunities for Improvement
Arlington County rated very well compared other communities in ETC Institute’s DirectionFinder®
database. In fact, Arlington County’s performance is among the best in the nation. The high ratings
in customer satisfaction indicate that the County has done an excellent job of prioritizing County
services based on the needs of the community. Although the County’s ratings are currently high, the
following areas were identified as “high” or “very high” priorities and/or as “opportunities for
improvement” based on the importance-satisfaction analysis (see Section 4).
Overall Priorities for the County: maintenance of County streets, management of traffic
flow on County streets, the effectiveness of the County’s Smart Growth practices, and the
quality of the County’s human services.
Priorities for Specific Areas
o Public Works Services: maintenance of major County streets, maintenance of
neighborhood streets, snow removal on neighborhood streets, and maintenance of
public sidewalks.
o Utility Services: NONE, but drinking water services rated highest.
o Public Safety: NONE, but enforcement of local traffic laws rated highest.
o Parks, Recreation and Arts: efforts to preserve nature in the County.
o Transportation: NONE, but pedestrian safety in other areas of the County rated
highest.
o Code Enforcement: enforcement of noise regulations and the enforcement of
construction site conditions.
o Library Services: NONE, but depth and range of electronic materials rated highest.
o Health and Human Services: efforts to preserve/increase affordable housing.
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 7
Section 2:
Charts and Trends
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
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50%
53%
41%
39%
35%
27%
28%
25%
22%
21%
19%
22%
17%
22%
10%
9%
42%
37%
46%
46%
44%
50%
44%
47%
47%
47%
46%
39%
41%
36%
37%
33%
8%
8%
10%
12%
19%
18%
21%
24%
25%
25%
25%
27%
30%
28%
30%
25%
1%
2%
3%
3%
2%
5%
7%
5%
6%
7%
10%
12%
12%
14%
22%
34%
Quality of fire/emergency med/ambulance services
Quality of County's library system
Quality of County parks/recreation programs
Quality of police services
Quality of County emergency preparedness services
Quality of County's water/wastewater services
Customer service you receive from County employees
Quality of County arts/cultural programs
Quality of County's stormwater runoff system
Efforts to help preserve/protect environment
Effectiveness of County communication with public
Quality of County's human services
Enforcement of County codes and ordinances
Effectiveness of County's Smart Growth practices
Management of traffic flow on County streets
Maintenance of County streets
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Satisfied (5) Satisfied (4) Neutral (3) Dissatisfied (1/2)
Overall Satisfaction With County Servicesby Major Category
by percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
92%
90%
87%
85%
79%
77%
72%
72%
69%
68%
65%
61%
58%
58%
47%
42%
93%
85%
88%
86%
78%
75%
72%
76%
69%
73%
68%
58%
57%
66%
49%
51%
90%
89%
81%
85%
77%
75%
71%
70%
65%
57%
48%
47%
54%
Quality of fire/emergency med/ambulance services
Quality of County's library system
Quality of County parks/recreation programs
Quality of police services
Quality of County emergency preparedness services
Quality of County's water/wastewater services
Customer service you receive from County employees
Quality of County arts/cultural programs
Quality of County's stormwater runoff system
Efforts to help preserve/protect environment
Effectiveness of County communication with public
Quality of County's human services
Enforcement of County codes and ordinances
Effectiveness of County's Smart Growth practices
Management of traffic flow on streets in County
Maintenance of County streets
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015 2012 2004
Overall Satisfaction With County Servicesby Major Category: 2015, 2012 & 2004
by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale (excluding don't knows)
not asked in 2004
TRENDS
not asked in 2004
not asked in 2004
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 9
55%
42%
33%
32%
30%
21%
19%
15%
12%
12%
11%
11%
9%
9%
8%
8%
Maintenance of County streets
Management of traffic flow on County streets
Effectiveness of County's Smart Growth practices
Quality of County's human services
Efforts to help preserve/protect environment
Quality of County parks/recreation programs
Effectiveness of County communication with public
Quality of police services
Quality of County's water/wastewater services
Quality of County emergency preparedness services
Enforcement of County codes and ordinances
Customer service you receive from County employees
Quality of County arts/cultural programs
Quality of fire/emergency med/ambulance services
Quality of County's library system
Quality of County's stormwater runoff system
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Sum of all four choices
Major Categories of County Services That Are Most Important for the County to Improve
Over the Next Two Yearsby percentage of respondents who selected the item as one of their top four choices
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
74%
35%
42%
28%
23%
57%
45%
53%
2%
7%
9%
16%
1%
1%
4%
4%
In your neighborhood during the day
Overall feeling of safety in the County
In your neighborhood at night
In commercial/retail areas at night
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very safe (5) Safe (4) Neutral (3) Unsafe/Very unsafe (2/1)
How Safe Residents Feel In Certain Situationsby percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 10
How Safe Residents Feel In Certain Situations:2015, 2012 & 2004
by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale (excluding don't knows)
97%
92%
87%
81%
97%
90%
86%
78%
96%
86%
80%
In your neighborhood during the day
Overall feeling of safety in the County
In your neighborhood at night
In commercial/retail areas at night
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015 2012 2004
not asked in 2004
TRENDSSource: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
42%
43%
33%
42%
27%
20%
18%
18%
16%
16%
10%
48%
46%
56%
42%
49%
44%
44%
41%
40%
40%
29%
8%
8%
9%
12%
21%
28%
24%
31%
34%
25%
36%
2%
3%
2%
4%
3%
8%
14%
10%
10%
19%
26%
Overall quality of life in Arlington County
Overall image of Arlington County
Quality of services provided by Arlington County
Quality of public schools in the County
Physical accessibility of County facilities
Overall inclusiveness of the community
Value you receive for County taxes
County's overall efforts to embrace diversity
County's efforts in civic engagement
How well County is managing growth
Transparency in County's decision making process
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Satisfied (5) Satisfied (4) Neutral (3) Dissatisfied (1/2)
Satisfaction With Items That Influence the Perception Residents Have of the County
by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 1 to 5 on a 5-point scale (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
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ETC Institute (2015) Page 11
Satisfaction With Items That Influence the Perception Residents Have of the County: 2015, 2012 & 2004by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale (excluding don't knows)
90%
89%
89%
84%
76%
64%
62%
59%
56%
39%
92%
91%
89%
82%
78%
72%
63%
66%
62%
44%
86%
86%
86%
71%
59%
51%
Overall quality of life in Arlington County
Overall image of Arlington County
Quality of services provided by Arlington County
Quality of public schools in the County
Physical accessibility of County facilities
Overall inclusiveness of the community
Value you receive for County taxes
County's overall efforts to embrace diversity
How well County is managing growth
Transparency in County's decision making
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015 2012 2004
not asked in 2004
TRENDSSource: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
not asked in 2004
not asked in 2004
not asked in 2004
25%
21%
18%
15%
49%
51%
41%
39%
19%
23%
31%
32%
7%
5%
10%
15%
I trust information provided by Arlington County
I trust Arlington County employees
I trust the County Manager/other senior staff
I trust Arlington County's elected officials
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Strongly Agree (5) Agree (4)
Neither Agree or Disagree (3) Disagree/Strongly Disagree (2/1)
Agreement With Various Statements About Local Government
by percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 12
Public Works Services
23%
21%
18%
20%
17%
19%
11%
12%
8%
10%
56%
57%
58%
54%
55%
47%
45%
39%
40%
37%
16%
16%
21%
16%
21%
18%
25%
23%
21%
20%
5%
6%
3%
11%
7%
16%
20%
27%
31%
34%
Adequacy of street lighting in commercial areas
Cleanliness of County streets/other public areas
Maintenance of County Buildings
Snow removal on major County Streets
Mowing/trimming along County streets/public areas
Adequacy of street lighting in your neighborhood
Maintenance of public sidewalks
Snow removal on neighborhood streets
Maintenance of major streets in Arlington County
Maintenance of streets in your neighborhood
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Satisfied (5) Satisfied (4) Neutral (3) Dissatisfied (1/2)
Satisfaction with Various Aspects of Public Works Services
by percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 13
Satisfaction with Various Aspects of Public Works Services: 2015, 2012 & 2004
by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale (excluding don't knows)
79%
78%
76%
74%
72%
66%
56%
51%
48%
47%
79%
77%
77%
74%
67%
67%
58%
52%
57%
56%
78%
71%
78%
72%
62%
66%
44%
60%
60%
Adequacy of street lighting in commercial areas
Cleanliness of County streets/other public areas
Maintenance of County buildings
Snow removal on major County streets
Mowing/trimming of County land in public areas
Adequacy of street lighting in your neighborhood
Maintenance of public sidewalks
Snow removal on neighborhood streets
Maintenance of major streets in Arlington County
Maintenance of streets in your neighborhood
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015 2012 2004TRENDS
not asked in 2004
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
54%
49%
36%
32%
23%
18%
15%
8%
8%
4%
Maintenance of major streets in Arlington County
Maintenance of streets in your neighborhood
Snow removal on neighborhood streets
Maintenance of public sidewalks
Adequacy of street lighting in your neighborhood
Cleanliness of County streets/other public areas
Snow removal on major County Streets
Adequacy of street lighting in commercial areas
Mowing/trimming along County streets/public areas
Maintenance of County Buildings
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Sum of Top Three Choices
Public Works Services That Are Most Important to Improve Over the Next Two Years
by percentage of respondents who selected the item as one of their top three choices
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 14
Utility Services
51%
49%
32%
40%
33%
29%
40%
40%
47%
39%
45%
46%
6%
9%
16%
15%
20%
21%
2%
2%
5%
7%
2%
5%
Residential trash collection services
Curbside recycling services
Drinking water services
Yardwaste removal services
Wastewater treatment services
Stormwater management services
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Satisfied (5) Satisfied (4) Neutral (3) Dissatisfied (1/2)
Satisfaction with Various Aspects of Utility Services
by percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 15
Satisfaction with Various Aspects of Utility Services: 2015, 2012 & 2004
by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale (excluding don't knows)
91%
89%
79%
79%
78%
91%
90%
75%
84%
76%
88%
83%
76%
75%
Residential trash collection services
Curbside recycling services
Drinking water services
Yardwaste removal services
Wastewater treatment services
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015 2012 2004
not asked in 2004
TRENDSSource: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
32%
23%
23%
20%
19%
15%
Drinking water services
Wastewater treatment services
Stormwater management services
Curbside recycling services
Yardwaste removal services
Residential trash collection services
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Sum of Top Two Choices
Utility Services That Are Most Important for the County to Improve Over
the Next Two Yearsby percentage of respondents who selected the item as one of their top two choices
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 16
Public Safety Services
42%
45%
44%
36%
30%
22%
19%
49%
46%
44%
50%
52%
47%
41%
9%
9%
11%
11%
15%
22%
27%
1%
1%
1%
3%
3%
9%
13%
Overall quality of local fire protection
Quality of emergency medical/ambulance service
How quickly public safety personnel respond
Overall quality of local police service
County's efforts to prevent crime
Enforcement of local traffic laws
Enforcement of parking regulations
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Satisfied (5) Satisfied (4) Neutral (3) Dissatisfied (1/2)
Satisfaction with Various Aspects of Public Safety Services
by percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 17
Satisfaction with Various Aspects of Public Safety Services: 2015, 2012 & 2004
by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale (excluding don't knows)
91%
91%
88%
86%
82%
69%
60%
92%
91%
89%
86%
82%
68%
60%
88%
86%
82%
86%
68%
61%
60%
Overall quality of local fire protection
Quality of emergency medical/ambulance service
How quickly public safety personnel responds
Overall quality of local police service
County's efforts to prevent crime
Enforcement of local traffic laws
Enforcement of parking regulations
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015 2012 2004TRENDSSource: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
42%
33%
27%
22%
21%
20%
14%
County's efforts to prevent crime
Overall quality of local police service
Enforcement of local traffic laws
How quickly public safety personnel respond
Enforcement of parking regulations
Quality of emergency medical/ambulance service
Overall quality of local fire protection
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Sum of Top Three Choices
Public Safety Services Most Important for the County to Improve Over the Next Two Years
by percentage of respondents who selected the item as one of their top three choices
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 18
Parks, Recreation, Sports & Arts
41%
32%
31%
30%
28%
26%
25%
24%
27%
21%
17%
23%
46%
54%
50%
49%
49%
49%
46%
46%
41%
42%
44%
37%
9%
10%
15%
18%
18%
21%
18%
27%
24%
29%
30%
28%
4%
4%
4%
3%
5%
4%
11%
3%
8%
9%
10%
11%
Walking and biking trails in the County
Maintenance of County parks
Outdoor athletic fields
Sports programs
Community and nature centers
Recreation programs
Efforts to preserve nature in the County
Special events sponsored by the County
Indoor swimming pools
Visual/performing arts programming/facilities
Fees charged for programs
Off-leash dog areas (community canine areas)
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Satisfied (5) Satisfied (4) Neutral (3) Dissatisfied (1/2)
Satisfaction with Various Aspects of Parks, Recreation, Sports & Arts
by percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 19
Satisfaction with Various Aspects of Parks, Recreation, Sports & Arts: 2015, 2012 & 2004
by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale (excluding don't knows)
87%
86%
81%
79%
77%
75%
71%
70%
68%
63%
61%
60%
87%
85%
78%
73%
79%
75%
75%
68%
66%
66%
62%
63%
82%
73%
65%
62%
46%
65%
53%
Walking and biking trails in the County
Maintenance of County parks
Outdoor athletic fields
Sports programs
Community and nature centers
Recreation programs
Efforts to preserve nature in the County
Special events sponsored by the county
Indoor swimming pools
Visual/performing arts programming/facilities
Fees charged for programs
Off-leash dog areas (community canine areas)
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015 2012 2004
not asked in 2004
not asked in 2004
TRENDSSource: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
not asked in 2004
not asked in 2004
not asked in 2004
36%
29%
27%
17%
15%
13%
13%
12%
11%
10%
8%
8%
Efforts to preserve nature in the County
Maintenance of County parks
Walking and biking trails in the County
Community and nature centers
Visual/performing arts programming/facilities
Outdoor athletic fields
Fees charged for programs
Off-leash dog areas (community canine areas)
Recreation programs
Indoor swimming pools
Special events sponsored by the County
Sports programs
0% 20% 40%
Sum of Top Three Choices
Parks, Recreation, Sports & Arts Items Most Important for the County to Improve Over the Next Two Years
by percentage of respondents who selected the item as one of their top three choices
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 20
County Interaction
Yes51%
No49%
Yes53%
No47%
Have You Contacted the County with a Question, Service Request, or Complaint During the Past year?
by percentage of respondents
2012 2015
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
TRENDS
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 21
67%
40%
30%
12%
5%
4%
2%
1%
By phone
Visit in person
The "County's Report-a-Problem" Website
Letter/mail
Arlington VA Mobile app
Facebook/Twitter
Fax
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
How Have You Contacted the County During the Past Year?
by percentage of respondents who had contacted County
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
67%
40%
30%
5%
2%
1%
76%
41%
28%
7%
1%
2%
83%
23%
30%
10%
5%
By phone
Visit in person
Letter/mail
Facebook/Twitter
Fax
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015 2012 2004
How Have You Contacted the County During the Past Year? 2015, 2012 & 2004
by percentage of respondents who had contacted County
TRENDSSource: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
not asked in 2004
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 22
24%
21%
14%
14%
13%
11%
9%
6%
5%
4%
Solid waste (e.g. trash/recycling)
Treasurer/Commissioner of Revenue
Street Maintenance
Parks & Recreation
Police
Planning/Code Enforcement
Libraries
Health/Human Services
County Manager/Board
Fire/Emergency Medical/Rescue
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Which service area did you contact most recently? by percentage of respondents who had contacted the County
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
43%
47%
42%
41%
37%
33%
33%
29%
9%
11%
13%
9%
10%
9%
12%
21%
How easy they were to contact
Courtesy and professionalism
Knowledge and technical competence
Ability to help resolve your issue
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Satisfied (5) Satisfied (4) Neutral (3) Dissatisfied (1/2)
Satisfaction with the Customer Service Received From County Employees
by percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 23
Satisfaction with the Customer Service Received From County Employees: 2015, 2012 & 2004
by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale (excluding don't knows)
80%
80%
75%
70%
79%
81%
76%
68%
77%
78%
71%
64%
How easy they were to contact
Courtesy and professionalism
Knowledge and technical competence
Ability to help resolve your issue
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015 2012 2004
TRENDSSource: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Transportation
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 24
32%
30%
23%
26%
25%
22%
24%
21%
21%
16%
22%
46%
46%
51%
49%
49%
49%
46%
49%
48%
46%
39%
19%
17%
14%
17%
21%
22%
16%
18%
18%
27%
33%
3%
7%
12%
9%
5%
7%
15%
13%
13%
12%
6%
Availability of Bikeshare
Availability of bike trails and bike lanes
Ease of traveling within Arlington County
Quality of Metro rail services in Arlington
Quality of Arlington's public transit system (ART)
Quality of Metro bus services in Arlington
Pedestrian safety in your neighborhood
Availability of sidewalks
Ease of travel from Arlington County to other area
Pedestrian safety in other areas of the County
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Satisfied (5) Satisfied (4) Neutral (3) Dissatisfied (1/2)
Satisfaction with Transportation in Arlington County
by percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
Availability of transportation for persons with disabilities
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Satisfaction with Transportation in Arlington County: 2015, 2012 & 2004
by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale (excluding don't knows)
76%
74%
74%
70%
70%
69%
62%
61%
73%
73%
63%
67%
67%
68%
56%
51%
70%
68%
64%
60%
58%
64%
50%
55%
Availability of bike trails and bike lanes
Ease of traveling within Arlington County
Quality of Arlington's public transit system (ART)
Pedestrian safety in your neighborhood
Availability of sidewalks
Ease of travel from Arlington County to other area
Pedestrian safety in other areas of the county
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015 2012 2004TRENDS
Availability of transportation for persons with disabilities
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 25
30%
27%
26%
25%
23%
23%
18%
16%
15%
8%
5%
Ease of traveling within Arlington County
Ease of travel from Arlington County to other area
Availability of sidewalks
Pedestrian safety in your neighborhood
Pedestrian safety in other areas of the County
Quality of Metro rail services in Arlington
Availability of bike trails and bike lanes
Quality of Metro bus services in Arlington
Quality of Arlington's public transit system (ART)
Availability of Bikeshare
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Sum of Top Three Choices
Transportation Services Most Important to Improve Over the Next Two Years
by percentage of respondents who selected the item as one of their top three choices
Availability of transportation for persons with disabilities
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Code Enforcement
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 26
15%
15%
12%
11%
45%
42%
35%
35%
33%
31%
33%
31%
7%
12%
21%
23%
Enforcing exterior maint. of business property
Enforcing exterior maint. of residential property
Enforcing construction site conditions
Enforcing noise regulations
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Satisfied (5) Satisfied (4) Neutral (3) Dissatisfied (1/2)
Satisfaction With Code Enforcementby percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Satisfaction With Code Enforcement:2015, 2012 & 2004
by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale (excluding don't knows)
60%
57%
47%
46%
57%
54%
47%
46%
54%
53%
42%
44%
Enforcing exterior maint. of business property
Enforcing exterior maint. of residential property
Enforcing construction site conditions
Enforcing noise regulations
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
2015 2012 2004TRENDSSource: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 27
37%
36%
23%
20%
Enforcing noise regulations
Enforcing construction site conditions
Enforcing exterior maint. of residential property
Enforcing exterior maint. of business property
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Sum of Top Two Choices
Code Enforcement Services that are the Most Important to Improve Over the Next 2 Years
by percentage of respondents who selected the item as one of their top two choices
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Communication
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 28
23%
22%
18%
20%
21%
17%
16%
51%
49%
51%
45%
40%
40%
35%
21%
25%
24%
25%
36%
37%
45%
5%
4%
7%
10%
3%
6%
4%
Information on the County's website
Quality of the County's newsletter, The Citizen
Information about County programs/services
Efforts to keep residents informed on local issues
The County's e-subscriptions
County's cable TV channel, AVN
The County's Facebook and Twitter sites
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Satisfied (5) Satisfied (4) Neutral (3) Dissatisfied (1/2)
Satisfaction with Communicationby percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Satisfaction with Communication:2015, 2012 & 2004
by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale (excluding don't knows)
74%
71%
69%
65%
57%
51%
72%
73%
73%
65%
57%
46%
63%
70%
70%
62%
47%
Quality of information on the County's website
Quality of County's newsletter, The Citizen
Availability of information on programs/services
Efforts to keep residents informed on local issues
County cable TV channel
The County's Facebook and Twitter sites
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015 2012 2004
not asked in 2004
TRENDSSource: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 29
Primary Sources Currently Used to Get Information About County Issues, Services, and Events
by percentage of respondents
53%
51%
45%
37%
36%
29%
24%
22%
8%
8%
7%
6%
4%
2%
1%
The County newsletter, The Citizen
The Washington Post
County website
ARLNow
Sun Gazette
Local TV/cable news/radio
Civic association newsletters/listservs
Parks and Recreation publications
Arlington Insider (County's e-newsletter)
Arlington's cable TV channel (ATV)
County Facebook/Twitter feeds
Other local media/blogs
County press releases/newsroom
Latino media
Spanish language website
0% 20% 40% 60%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Have you watched ATV (Arlington TV) programming?by percentage of respondents
Yes, on cable TV18%
Yes, on Internet2%
No, I don't watch ATV79%
Not provided1%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 30
What programming is most important to you?by percentage of respondents who watched ATV programming
47%
35%
30%
29%
28%
News/current events
County Board meetings
History
Arts/culture/lifestyle
Government programs/services
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Emergency Preparedness
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 31
24%
13%
12%
10%
45%
33%
31%
26%
23%
22%
27%
37%
9%
32%
31%
26%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Strongly Agree (5) Agree (4) Neutral (3) Disagree (2/1)
Level of Agreement with Statements About Emergency Preparedness Services
by percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
My household is prepared with food, waterand other supplies for an emergency
The County has done a good job educating the public about what to do in an emergency
I know where to get information during an emergency
I find emergency alerts useful to help prepare for emergencies
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
46%
43%
36%
42%
42%
38%
54%
57%
55%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
2015 2012 2004
Level of Agreement with Statements About Emergency Preparedness Services: 2015, 2012 & 2004
by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale
TRENDS
I know where to get information during an emergency
My household is prepared with food, waterand other supplies for an emergency
The County has done a good job educating the public about what to do in an emergency
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 32
Libraries
Have you or other members of your household used County library services during the past year?
by percentage of respondents (multiple responses allowed)
70%
39%
26%
Visited a County library
Used online library services (web/internet)
Have not used County library svcs during past yr
0% 20% 40% 60%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 33
Why haven’t you used County library services during the past year?
by percentage of respondents who had not visited a library during the past year
51%
41%
27%
10%
5%
4%
2%
1%
I use the Internet
Do not have a need for library services
Too busy to use library services
Not aware of library services
Does not have programs that interest me
Do not have transportation
Does not have the materials I need
Services/materials not offered in my language
0% 20% 40% 60%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
46%
37%
36%
31%
30%
29%
24%
25%
44%
49%
42%
45%
44%
41%
43%
39%
9%
10%
20%
21%
15%
27%
24%
28%
2%
4%
2%
4%
11%
3%
9%
8%
Depth and range of library collections
Programs for children
Computer technology services
Hours libraries are open
Programs for adults
Depth and range of electronic materials
Notifications about what's happening in library
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Satisfied (5) Satisfied (4) Neutral (3) Dissatisfied (1/2)
Satisfaction with Library Services by percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
Customer service effectiveness of in-person services
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 34
90%
86%
78%
76%
74%
70%
67%
64%
88%
84%
73%
71%
66%
69%
67%
61%
91%
79%
76%
Depth and Range of library collections
Programs for children
Computer/technology services
Hours libraries are open
Programs for adults
Depth and range of electronics materials
Notifications about what is happening in library
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015 2012 2004
Satisfaction with Library Services: 2015, 2012 & 2004by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale (excluding don't knows)
not asked in 2004
TRENDS
Asked as “helpfulness of library staff” in previous yearsCustomer service effectiveness of in-person services
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
not asked in 2004
not asked in 2004
not asked in 2004
not asked in 2004
32%
29%
26%
16%
12%
12%
10%
5%
Depth and range of library collections
Depth and range of electronic materials
Hours libraries are open
Notifications about what's happening in library
Programs for children
Computer technology services
Programs for adults
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Sum of Top Two Choices
Library Services Most Important to Improve Over the Next TWO years
by percentage of respondents who selected the item as one of their top two choices
Customer service effectiveness of in-person services
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 35
Health&
Human Services
24%
20%
16%
18%
16%
14%
11%
60%
47%
45%
38%
35%
32%
28%
12%
26%
30%
33%
33%
42%
31%
4%
7%
9%
12%
16%
13%
30%
Cleanliness/safety of food in restaurants
Availability of services to seniors
Overall quality of school health programs
Availability of services to the unemployed
Efforts to preserve/increase affordable housing
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very Satisfied (5) Satisfied (4) Neutral (3) Dissatisfied (1/2)
Satisfaction with Health and Human Services
by percentage of respondents (excluding don't knows)
Availability of quality services for personswith disabilities
Availability of services to people on a low or fixed income
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 36
84%
67%
61%
56%
51%
46%
39%
83%
69%
61%
57%
49%
43%
43%
79%
68%
58%
45%
Cleanliness/safety of food in restaurants
Availability of services to seniors
Overall quality of school health programs
Availability of services to the unemployed
Efforts to preserve/increase affordable housing
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2015 2012 2004
Satisfaction with Health and Human Services:2015, 2012 & 2004
by percentage of respondents who rated the item as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale
not asked in 2004
not asked in 2004
Availability of quality services for personswith disabilities
TRENDS
Availability of services to people on a low or fixed income
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
not asked in 2004
34%
19%
18%
18%
17%
16%
10%
Efforts to preserve/increase affordable housing
Cleanliness/safety of food in restaurants
Availability of services to seniors
Overall quality of school health programs
Availability of services to the unemployed
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Sum of Top Two choices
Health and Human Services That are Most Important to Improve Over the Next Two Years
by percentage of respondents who selected the item as one of their top two choices
Availability of quality services for personswith disabilities
Availability of services to people on a low or fixed income
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 37
Demographics
Do you own or rent your home?
Rent 31%
Own68%
Not provided1%
by percentage of respondents
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 38
Which of the following best describes your home?
Single family 57%
Duplex/triplex5%
Condo/apartment34%
Other2%
Not provided1%
by percentage of respondents
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
How Many Years Have You Lived in Arlington County, Virginia?
by percentage of respondents
Less than 3 years11%
3-5 years10%
6-10 years17%
11-15 years13%
16-20 years11%
21-30 years16%
31+ years19%
Not provided2%
Less than 3 years8%
3-5 years12%
6-10 years16%
11-15 years13%
16-20 years12%
21-30 years18%
31+ years19%
Not provided2%
2012 2015
TRENDSSource: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 39
White72%
Other28%
White71%
Other29%
Percentage of Arlington County Residents Who Are Whiteby percentage of respondents
2010 Census Data 2015 Survey
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Percent of Arlington County Residents Who Are Hispanic/Latino
by percentage of respondents
2010 Census Data 2015 Survey
Hispanic/Latino15%
Other 85%
Hispanic/Latino16%
Other 84%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 40
Percent of Arlington County Residents Who Are Black/African American
by percentage of respondents
2010 Census Data 2015 Survey
Black/African American9%
Other 91%
Black/African American8%
Other 92%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Percent of Arlington County Residents Who Are Asian/Pacific Islander
by percentage of respondents
2010 Census Data 2015 Survey
Asian/Pacific Islander10%
Other 90%
Asian/Pacific Islander10%
Other 90%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 41
Percent of Arlington County Residents Who Are American Indian/Eskimo
by percentage of respondents
2010 Census Data 2015 Survey
American Indian/Eskimo1%Other
99%
American Indian/Eskimo1%Other
99%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Yes 87%
No13%
Is English the primary language spoken in your home?by percentage of respondents
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 42
Yes 7%
No92%
Not provided1%
Do you have a physical disability?by percentage of respondents
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Under age 1010%
11-19 years9%
20-44 years36%
45-64 years31%
Ages 65+14%
Ages of Household Occupantsby percentage of respondents
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 43
Under $35,0006%
$35,000-$79,99916%
$80,000-$149,99930%
$150,000+43%
Not Provided5%
Total Annual Household Income by percentage of respondents
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Male49%
Female51%
Gender of the Respondentsby percentage of respondents
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 44
Section 3:
Benchmarking Data
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 45
Ben
chm
arking A
nalysis
DirectionFinder Survey
Year 2015 Benchmarking Summary Report
Overview
ETC Institute's DirectionFinder® program was originally developed in 1999 to help community
leaders across the United States use statistically valid community survey data as a tool for
making better decisions. Since November 1999, the survey has been administered in more than
300 cities and counties in 43 states.
This report contains benchmarking data from two sources. The first source is from a national
survey that was administered by ETC Institute during the summer of 2014 to a random sample of
nearly 4,000 residents in the continental United States. The second source is from individual
community surveys that were administered in 24 large communities (population of 100,000 or
more) between January 2012 and April 2015. The “U.S. Average” shown in this report reflects
the overall results of ETC Institute’s national survey. The results from individual communities
were used as the basis for developing the ranges of performance that are shown in this report for
specific types of services. The 24 communities included in the performance ranges that are
shown in this report are listed below:
Arlington County, VA
Abilene, TX
Austin, TX
Columbia, MO
Coral Springs, FL
Dallas, TX
Des Moines, IA
Durham, NC
Fort Worth, TX
Henderson, NV
High Point, NC
Independence, MO
Johnson County, KS
Mesa County, CO
Norman, OK
Oklahoma City, OK
Olathe, KS
Overland Park, KS
Pueblo, CO
San Francisco, CA
Springfield, MO
Tempe, AZ
Vancouver, WA
Yuma County, AZ
Interpreting the Charts
The charts on the following pages provide comparisons for several items that were rated on the
survey. The percentages shown reflect the sum of the positive ratings given by respondents
excluding “don’t knows.”
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 46
Ben
chm
arking A
nalysis
The two sets of charts are briefly described below:
On the first set of charts, the blue bars show the results for Arlington County and the tan
bars show the results of a national survey that was conducted by ETC Institute in the
summer of 2014 to nearly 4,000 residents across the Unites States.
On the second set of charts, the horizontal bar shows the range of performance among
communities in ETC Institute’s DirectionFinder® database for communities with more
than 100,000 residents. The yellow dot on each chart shows the rating for Arlington
County. The vertical line shows the average rating for communities with more than
100,000 residents.
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 47
National Benchmarks
Note: The benchmarking data contained in this report is protected intellectual property. Any reproduction of
the benchmarking information in this report by persons or organizations not directly affiliated with
Arlington County is not authorized without written consent from ETC Institute.
92%
90%
87%
85%
79%
77%
72%
69%
65%
58%
47%
42%
89%
82%
71%
72%
61%
73%
55%
62%
46%
49%
52%
44%
Fire & emergency medical/ambulance services
Quality of the County's library system
Parks/recreation programs
Police services
Emergency preparedness services
Water and wastewater services
Customer service
Stormwater runoff system
Effectiveness of communication w/ the public
Enforcement of codes & ordinances
Management of traffic flow
Maintenance of County streets
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arlington County U.S.
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
Overall Satisfaction with Major Categories of County Services - Arlington County vs. the U.S.
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 48
90%
89%
89%
84%
62%
56%
79%
72%
57%
70%
43%
44%
Overall quality of life in the County
Overall image of the County
Overall quality of services provided by the County
Quality of public schools
Value received for County taxes
How well the County is managing growth
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arlington County U.S.
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
Satisfaction with Issues that Influence Perceptions of the County - Arlington County vs. the U.S.
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
97%
92%
87%
91%
79%
67%
In your neighborhood during the day
Overall feeling of safety
In your neighborhood at night
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arlington County U.S.
How Safe Residents Feel in Their CommunityArlington County vs. the U.S.
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very safe" and 1 was "very unsafe" (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 49
78%
74%
72%
56%
48%
47%
51%
64%
64%
63%
51%
57%
54%
48%
Cleanliness of County streets & public areas
Snow removal on major County streets
Mowing/trimming of streets & public areas
Maintenance of public sidewalks
Maintenance of major County streets
Maintenance of neighborhood streets
Snow removal on neighborhood streets
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arlington County U.S.
Overall Satisfaction with Public Works ServicesArlington County vs. the U.S.
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
91%
79%
79%
78%
82%
70%
78%
74%
Residential trash collection services
Yardwaste removal services
Drinking water services
Wastewater treatment services
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arlington County U.S.
Overall Satisfaction with Utility ServicesArlington County vs. the U.S.
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 50
91%
91%
88%
86%
82%
69%
60%
89%
85%
75%
72%
60%
64%
60%
Local fire protection
Quality of emergency medical/ambulance service
How quickly public safety personnel respond
Local police service
Crime prevention
Enforcement of local traffic laws
Enforcement of parking regulations
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arlington County U.S.
Overall Satisfaction with Public SafetyArlington County vs. the U.S.
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
87%
86%
81%
68%
54%
77%
68%
48%
Walking/biking trails
Maintenance of County parks
Outdoor athletic fields
County swimming pools
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arlington County U.S.
Overall Satisfaction with Parks, Recreation, Sports & ArtsArlington County vs. the U.S.
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 51
80%
70%
70%
56%
How easy they were to contact
Ability to resolve your issue
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arlington County U.S.
Overall Satisfaction with Customer ServiceArlington County vs. the U.S.
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
60%
57%
59%
48%
Enforcing exterior maint of business property
Enforcing exterior maint of residential property
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arlington County U.S.
Overall Satisfaction with Code EnforcementArlington County vs. the U.S.
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 52
74%
69%
65%
57%
59%
52%
48%
57%
Quality of information on the County's website
Availability of information on services/programs
County efforts to keep residents informed
The County's cable TV channel
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Arlington County U.S.
Overall Satisfaction with CommunicationArlington County vs. the U.S.
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
Large Community Benchmarks
(populations of 100,000 or more only)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 53
94%
95%
91%
89%
79%
78%
87%
82%
82%
73%
75%
75%
68%
48%
57%
71%
46%
62%
47%
36%
39%
35%
18%
27%
Fire & emergency medical/ambulance services
Parks/recreation programs
Police services
Quality of the library system
Emergency preparedness services
Water and wastewater services
Customer service
Stormwater runoff system
Effectiveness of communication w/ the public
Enforcement of codes & ordinances
Maintenance of major streets
Management of traffic flow
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Overall Satisfaction with County Services by Major Category - Large Communities
LOW---------MEAN--------HIGH
Arlington County,VA
92%
72%
77%
65%
79%
69%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
58%
42%
47%
87%
85%
90%
96%
94%
92%
85%
73%
56%
39%
33%
28%
34%
Overall quality of life in the community
Overall image of your community
Overall quality of services provided
Value received for taxes
How well growth is being managed
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%LOW---------MEAN--------HIGH
Perceptions that Residents Have of the Community in Which They Live - Large Communities
90%
89%
Arlington County, VA
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
56%
62%
89%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 54
97%
93%
90%
71%
42%
42%
In your neighborhood during the day
Overall feeling of safety
In your neighborhood at night
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%LOW---------MEAN--------HIGH
How Safe Residents Feel in Their Community Large Communities
92%
Arlington County, VA
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very safe" and 1 was "very unsafe" (excluding don't knows)
87%
97%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
89%
84%
79%
88%
85%
88%
73%
30%
49%
46%
24%
17%
35%
22%
Cleanliness of streets & public areas
Snow removal on major streets
Mowing/trimming of streets & public areas
Maintenance of public sidewalks
Maintenance of major streets
Maintenance of neighborhood streets
Snow removal on neighborhood streets
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%LOW---------MEAN--------HIGH
Satisfaction with Public Works Services Large Communities
78%
74%
56%
57%
72%
Arlington County, VA
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
47%
51%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 55
96%
95%
88%
91%
83%
81%
74%
65%
43%
57%
39%
46%
Local fire protection
Quality of emergency medical/ambulance service
How quickly public safety personnel respond
Local police service
Crime prevention
Enforcement of local traffic laws
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%LOW---------MEAN--------HIGH
Satisfaction with Public Safety - Large Communities
91%
88%
82%
Arlington County, VA
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "Strongly Agree" and 1 was "Strongly Disagree" (excluding don't knows)
86%
91%
69%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
91%
95%
86%
83%
46%
50%
45%
34%
Walking/biking trails
Maintenance of local parks
Outdoor athletic fields
Swimming pools
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%LOW---------MEAN--------HIGH
Satisfaction with Parks, Recreation and Arts Large Communities
87%
86%
Arlington County, VA
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
81%
68%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 56
71%
62%
44%
23%
Enforcing exterior maint of business property
Enforcing exterior maint of residential property
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%LOW---------MEAN--------HIGH
Satisfaction with Code Enforcement Large Communities
60%
57%
Arlington County, VA
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
80%
87%
78%
66%
42%
31%
41%
32%
Availability of information on services/programs
Quality of information on the County's website
Efforts to keep residents informed
The County's cable TV channel
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%LOW---------MEAN--------HIGH
Satisfaction with Various Aspects of Communication Large Communities
57%
Arlington County, VA
by percentage of respondents who rated the item 4 or 5 on a 5-point scalewhere 5 was "very satisfied" and 1 was "very dissatisfied" (excluding don't knows)
69%
74%
65%
Source: ETC Institute DirectionFinder (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 57
Section 4:
Importance-Satisfaction Analysis
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 58
Importan
ce‐Satisfaction Analysis
Importance-Satisfaction Analysis Arlington County, Virginia
Overview Today, County officials have limited resources which need to be targeted to activities that are of the most benefit to their citizens. Two of the most important criteria for decision making are (1) to target resources toward services of the highest importance to citizens; and (2) to target resources toward those services where citizens are the least satisfied. The Importance-Satisfaction (IS) rating is a unique tool that allows public officials to better understand both of these highly important decision making criteria for each of the services they are providing. The Importance-Satisfaction rating is based on the concept that cities will maximize overall citizen satisfaction by emphasizing improvements in those service categories where the level of satisfaction is relatively low and the perceived importance of the service is relatively high.
Methodology The rating is calculated by summing the percentage of responses for items selected as the most important services for the County to emphasize over the next two years. This sum is then multiplied by 1 minus the percentage of respondents that indicated they were positively satisfied with the County's performance in the related area (the sum of the ratings of 4 and 5 on a 5-point scale excluding “don't knows”). “Don't know” responses are excluded from the calculation to ensure that the satisfaction ratings among service categories are comparable. [IS=Importance x (1-Satisfaction)]. Example of the Calculation. Respondents were asked to identify the major categories of overall services they thought were most important for the County to improve over the next two years. Fifty-five percent (55%) ranked “maintenance of County streets” as the most important overall service to improve over the next two years. With regard to satisfaction, “maintenance of County streets” was ranked sixteenth overall, with 41.7% rating it as a “4” or a “5” on a 5-point scale, excluding “don't know” responses. The I-S rating for “maintenance of County streets” was calculated by multiplying the sum of the most important percentages by 1 minus the sum of the satisfaction percentages. In this example, 55% was multiplied by 58.3% (1-0.417). This calculation yielded an I-S rating of 0.3207, which was ranked first out of the sixteen overall service categories.
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 59
Importan
ce‐Satisfaction Analysis
The maximum rating is 1.00 and would be achieved when 100% of the respondents select an activity as one of their top choices to emphasize over the next two years and 0% indicated that they are positively satisfied with the delivery of the service. The lowest rating is 0.00 and could be achieved under either one of the following two situations:
if 100% of the respondents were positively satisfied with the delivery of the service
if none (0%) of the respondents selected the service as one of the most important areas for the County to emphasize over the next two years.
Interpreting the Ratings Ratings that are greater than or equal to 0.20 identify areas that should receive significantly more emphasis over the next two years. Ratings from .10 to .20 identify service areas that should receive increased emphasis. Ratings less than .10 should continue to receive the current level of emphasis.
Definitely Increase Emphasis (IS>=0.20)
Increase Current Emphasis (0.10<=IS<0.20)
Maintain Current Emphasis (IS<0.10) The importance-satisfaction results for each individual service area are provided on the following pages.
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 60
Importance-Satisfaction RatingArlington County, Virginia
Overall
Category of Service
Most Important %
Most Important
RankSatisfaction
%Satisfaction
Rank
Importance-Satisfaction
RatingI-S Rating
Rank
Very High Priority (IS >.20)
Maintenance of County streets 55% 1 42% 16 0.3207 1Management of traffic flow on County streets 42% 2 47% 15 0.2229 2
High Priority (IS .10-.20)
Effectiveness of County's Smart Growth practices 33% 3 58% 14 0.1390 3Quality of County's human services 32% 4 61% 12 0.1262 4
Medium Priority (IS <.10)
Efforts to help preserve/protect environment 30% 5 68% 10 0.0966 5Effectiveness of County communication with public 19% 7 65% 11 0.0665 6Enforcement of County codes and ordinances 11% 11 58% 13 0.0477 7Customer service you receive from County employees 11% 12 72% 7 0.0297 8Quality of County's water/wastewater services 12% 9 77% 6 0.0282 9Quality of County parks/recreation programs 21% 6 87% 3 0.0278 10Quality of County arts/cultural programs 9% 13 72% 8 0.0255 11Quality of County emergency preparedness services 12% 10 79% 5 0.0245 12Quality of County's stormwater runoff system 8% 16 69% 9 0.0231 13Quality of police services 15% 8 85% 4 0.0225 14Quality of County's library system 8% 15 90% 2 0.0077 15Quality of fire/emergency med/ambulance services 9% 14 92% 1 0.0072 16
Note: The I-S Rating is calculated by multiplying the "Most Important" % by (1-'Satisfaction' %)
Most Important %: The "Most Important" percentage represents the sum of the first, second, third and fourth
most important responses for each item. Respondents were asked to identify
the items they thought should receive the most emphasis over the next two years.
Satisfaction %: The "Satisfaction" percentage represents the sum of the ratings "4" and "5" excluding 'don't knows.'
Respondents ranked their level of satisfaction with the each of the items on a scale
of 1 to 5 with "5" being very satisfied and "1" being very dissatisfied.
© 2015 DirectionFinder by ETC Institute
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 61
Importance-Satisfaction RatingArlington County, Virginia
Public Works
Category of Service
Most Important
%
Most Important
RankSatisfaction
%Satisfaction
Rank
Importance-Satisfaction
RatingI-S Rating
Rank
Very High Priority (IS >.20)
Maintenance of major streets in Arlington County 54% 1 48% 9 0.2781 1Maintenance of streets in your neighborhood 49% 2 47% 10 0.2602 2
High Priority (IS .10-.20)
Snow removal on neighborhood streets 36% 3 51% 8 0.1778 3Maintenance of public sidewalks 32% 4 56% 7 0.1431 4
Medium Priority (IS <.10)
Adequacy of street lighting in your neighborhood 23% 5 66% 6 0.0777 5Cleanliness of County streets/other public areas 18% 6 78% 2 0.0401 6Snow removal on major County Streets 15% 7 74% 4 0.0395 7Mowing/trimming along County streets/public areas 8% 9 72% 5 0.0221 8Adequacy of street lighting in commercial areas 8% 8 79% 1 0.0173 9Maintenance of County Buildings 4% 10 76% 3 0.0090 10
Note: The I-S Rating is calculated by multiplying the "Most Important" % by (1-'Satisfaction' %)
Most Important %: The "Most Important" percentage represents the sum of the first, second, and third
most important responses for each item. Respondents were asked to identify
the items they thought should receive the most emphasis over the next two years.
Satisfaction %: The "Satisfaction" percentage represents the sum of the ratings "4" and "5" excluding 'don't knows.'
Respondents ranked their level of satisfaction with the each of the items on a scale
of 1 to 5 with "5" being very satisfied and "1" being very dissatisfied.
© 2015 DirectionFinder by ETC Institute
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 62
Importance-Satisfaction RatingArlington County, Virginia
Utility Services
Category of ServiceMost
Important %
Most Important
RankSatisfaction
%Satisfaction
Rank
Importance-Satisfaction
RatingI-S Rating
Rank
Medium Priority (IS <.10)
Drinking water services 32% 1 79% 3 0.0665 1Stormwater management services 23% 3 75% 6 0.0563 2Wastewater treatment services 23% 2 78% 5 0.0497 3Yardwaste removal services 19% 5 79% 4 0.0397 4
Curbside recycling services 20% 4 89% 2 0.0222 5Residential trash collection services 15% 6 91% 1 0.0133 6
Note: The I-S Rating is calculated by multiplying the "Most Important" % by (1-'Satisfaction' %)
Most Important %: The "Most Important" percentage represents the sum of the first and second
most important responses for each item. Respondents were asked to identify
the items they thought should receive the most emphasis over the next two years.
Satisfaction %: The "Satisfaction" percentage represents the sum of the ratings "4" and "5" excluding 'don't knows.'
Respondents ranked their level of satisfaction with the each of the items on a scale
of 1 to 5 with "5" being very satisfied and "1" being very dissatisfied.
© 2015 DirectionFinder by ETC Institute
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 63
Importance-Satisfaction RatingArlington County, Virginia
Public Safety
Category of Service
Most Important
%
Most Important
RankSatisfaction
%Satisfaction
Rank
Importance-Satisfaction
RatingI-S Rating
Rank
Medium Priority (IS < .10)
Enforcement of local traffic laws 27% 3 69% 6 0.0834 1Enforcement of parking regulations 21% 5 60% 7 0.0822 2County's efforts to prevent crime 42% 1 82% 5 0.0767 3Overall quality of local police service 33% 2 86% 4 0.0477 4How quickly public safety personnel respond 22% 4 88% 3 0.0267 5Quality of emergency medical/ambulance service 20% 6 91% 2 0.0180 6Overall quality of local fire protection 14% 7 91% 1 0.0133 7
Note: The I-S Rating is calculated by multiplying the "Most Important" % by (1-'Satisfaction' %)
Most Important %: The "Most Important" percentage represents the sum of the first, second, and third
most important responses for each item. Respondents were asked to identify
the items they thought should receive the most emphasis over the next two years.
Satisfaction %: The "Satisfaction" percentage represents the sum of the ratings "4" and "5" excluding 'don't knows.'
Respondents ranked their level of satisfaction with the each of the items on a scale
of 1 to 5 with "5" being very satisfied and "1" being very dissatisfied.
© 2015 DirectionFinder by ETC Institute
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 64
Importance-Satisfaction RatingArlington County, Virginia
Parks, Recreation, Sports & Arts
Category of Service
Most Important
%
Most Important
RankSatisfaction
%Satisfaction
Rank
Importance-Satisfaction
RatingI-S Rating
Rank
High Priority (IS .10-.20)
Efforts to preserve nature in the County 36% 1 71% 1 0.1032 1
Medium Priority (IS <.10)
Visual/performing arts programming/facilities 15% 5 63% 6 0.0547 2Fees charged for programs 13% 7 61% 8 0.0491 3Off-leash dog areas (community canine areas) 12% 8 60% 7 0.0460 4Maintenance of County parks 29% 2 86% 10 0.0401 5Community and nature centers 17% 4 77% 11 0.0380 6Walking and biking trails in the County 27% 3 87% 5 0.0339 7Indoor swimming pools 10% 10 68% 4 0.0321 8
Recreation programs 11% 9 75% 3 0.0281 9Outdoor athletic fields 13% 6 81% 12 0.0244 10Special events sponsored by the County 8% 11 70% 9 0.0225 11Sports programs 8% 12 79% 2 0.0158 12
Note: The I-S Rating is calculated by multiplying the "Most Important" % by (1-'Satisfaction' %)
Most Important %: The "Most Important" percentage represents the sum of the first, second, and third
most important responses for each item. Respondents were asked to identify
the items they thought should receive the most emphasis over the next two years.
Satisfaction %: The "Satisfaction" percentage represents the sum of the ratings "4" and "5" excluding 'don't knows.'
Respondents ranked their level of satisfaction with the each of the items on a scale
of 1 to 5 with "5" being very satisfied and "1" being very dissatisfied.
© 2015 DirectionFinder by ETC Institute
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Draft Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 65
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 65
Importance-Satisfaction RatingArlington County, Virginia
Transportation
Category of ServiceMost
Important %
Most Important
RankSatisfaction
%Satisfaction
Rank
Importance-Satisfaction
RatingI-S Rating
Rank
Medium Priority (IS <.10)
Pedestrian safety in other areas of the County 23% 5 62% 10 0.0868 1Ease of travel from Arlington County to other areas 27% 2 69% 9 0.0846 2Availability of sidewalks 26% 3 70% 8 0.0781 3Ease of traveling within Arlington County 30% 1 74% 4 0.0768 4
Pedestrian safety in your neighborhood 25% 4 70% 7 0.0746 5Quality of Metro rail services in Arlington 23% 6 75% 3 0.0565 6Quality of Metro bus services in Arlington 16% 8 71% 6 0.0446 7Availability of bike trails and bike lanes 18% 7 76% 2 0.0422 8Quality of Arlington's public transit system (ART) 15% 9 74% 5 0.0378 9Availability of transportation for persons with disabilities 8% 10 61% 11 0.0314 10Availability of Bikeshare 5% 11 78% 1 0.0112 11
Note: The I-S Rating is calculated by multiplying the "Most Important" % by (1-'Satisfaction' %)
Most Important %: The "Most Important" percentage represents the sum of the first, second, and third
most important responses for each item. Respondents were asked to identify
the items they thought should receive the most emphasis over the next two years.
Satisfaction %: The "Satisfaction" percentage represents the sum of the ratings "4" and "5" excluding 'don't knows.'
Respondents ranked their level of satisfaction with the each of the items on a scale
of 1 to 5 with "5" being very satisfied and "1" being very dissatisfied.
© 2015 DirectionFinder by ETC Institute
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 66
Importance-Satisfaction RatingArlington County, Virginia
Code Enforcement
Category of Service
Most Important
%
Most Important
RankSatisfaction
%Satisfaction
Rank
Importance-Satisfaction
RatingI-S Rating
Rank
Very High Priority (IS >.20)
Enforcing noise regulations 37% 1 46% 4 0.2008 1
High Priority (IS .10-.20)
Enforcing construction site conditions 36% 2 47% 3 0.1944 2
Medium Priority (IS <.10)
Enforcing exterior maint. of residential property 23% 3 57% 2 0.0985 3Enforcing exterior maint. of business property 20% 4 60% 1 0.0788 4
Note: The I-S Rating is calculated by multiplying the "Most Important" % by (1-'Satisfaction' %)
Most Important %: The "Most Important" percentage represents the sum of the first and second
most important responses for each item. Respondents were asked to identify
the items they thought should receive the most emphasis over the next two years.
Satisfaction %: The "Satisfaction" percentage represents the sum of the ratings "4" and "5" excluding 'don't knows.'
Respondents ranked their level of satisfaction with the each of the items on a scale
of 1 to 5 with "5" being very satisfied and "1" being very dissatisfied.
© 2015 DirectionFinder by ETC Institute
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 67
Importance-Satisfaction RatingArlington County, Virginia
Library Services
Category of Service
Most Important
%
Most Important
RankSatisfaction
%Satisfaction
Rank
Importance-Satisfaction
RatingI-S Rating
Rank
Medium Priority (IS <.10)
Depth and range of electronic materials 29% 2 67% 7 0.0950 1Hours libraries are open 26% 3 74% 5 0.0689 2Notifications about what's happening in library 16% 4 64% 8 0.0586 3Depth and range of library collections 32% 1 86% 2 0.0456 4Programs for adults 10% 7 70% 6 0.0304 5Computer technology services 12% 6 76% 4 0.0290 6
Programs for children 12% 5 78% 3 0.0272 7Customer service effectiveness of in-person services 5% 8 90% 1 0.0056 8
Note: The I-S Rating is calculated by multiplying the "Most Important" % by (1-'Satisfaction' %)
Most Important %: The "Most Important" percentage represents the sum of the first and second
most important responses for each item. Respondents were asked to identify
the items they thought should receive the most emphasis over the next two years.
Satisfaction %: The "Satisfaction" percentage represents the sum of the ratings "4" and "5" excluding 'don't knows.'
Respondents ranked their level of satisfaction with the each of the items on a scale
of 1 to 5 with "5" being very satisfied and "1" being very dissatisfied.
© 2015 DirectionFinder by ETC Institute
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 68
Importance-Satisfaction RatingArlington County, Virginia
Health and Human Services
Category of Service
Most Important
%
Most Important
RankSatisfaction
%Satisfaction
Rank
Importance-Satisfaction
RatingI-S Rating
Rank
Very High Priority (IS >.20)
Efforts to preserve/increase affordable housing 34% 1 39% 7 0.2079 1
Medium Priority (IS <.10)
Availability of services to low/fixed income 19% 2 51% 5 0.0934 2
Availability of quality services for persons with disabilities 18% 3 56% 4 0.0802 3
Overall quality of school health programs 16% 6 61% 3 0.0627 4
Availability of services to the unemployed 10% 7 45% 6 0.0559 5Availability of services to seniors 17% 5 67% 2 0.0551 6Cleanliness/safety of food in restaurants 18% 4 84% 1 0.0283 7
Note: The I-S Rating is calculated by multiplying the "Most Important" % by (1-'Satisfaction' %)
Most Important %: The "Most Important" percentage represents the sum of the first and second
most important responses for each item. Respondents were asked to identify
the items they thought should receive the most emphasis over the next two years.
Satisfaction %: The "Satisfaction" percentage represents the sum of the ratings "4" and "5" excluding 'don't knows.'
Respondents ranked their level of satisfaction with the each of the items on a scale
of 1 to 5 with "5" being very satisfied and "1" being very dissatisfied.
© 2015 DirectionFinder by ETC Institute
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 69
Importan
ce‐Satisfaction Analysis
Importance-Satisfaction Matrix Analysis The Importance-Satisfaction rating is based on the concept that public agencies will maximize overall customer satisfaction by emphasizing improvements in those areas where the level of satisfaction is relatively low and the perceived importance of the service is relatively high. ETC Institute developed an Importance-Satisfaction Matrix to display the perceived importance of major services that were assessed on the survey against the perceived quality of service delivery. The two axes on the matrix represent Satisfaction (vertical) and relative Importance (horizontal). The I-S (Importance-Satisfaction) matrix should be interpreted as follows.
Continued Emphasis (above average importance and above average satisfaction). This area shows where the County is meeting customer expectations. Items in this area have a significant impact on the customer’s overall level of satisfaction. The County should maintain (or slightly increase) emphasis on items in this area.
Exceeding Expectations (below average importance and above average satisfaction).
This area shows where the County is performing significantly better than customers expect the County to perform. Items in this area do not significantly affect the overall level of satisfaction that residents have with County services. The County should maintain (or slightly decrease) emphasis on items in this area.
Opportunities for Improvement (above average importance and below average
satisfaction). This area shows where the County is not performing as well as residents expect the County to perform. This area has a significant impact on customer satisfaction, and the County should DEFINITELY increase emphasis on items in this area.
Less Important (below average importance and below average satisfaction). This
area shows where the County is not performing well relative to the County’s performance in other areas; however, this area is generally considered to be less important to residents. This area does not significantly affect overall satisfaction with County services because the items are less important to residents. The agency should maintain current levels of emphasis on items in this area.
Matrices showing the results for Arlington County are provided on the following pages.
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 70
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Opportunities for Improvement
2015 Arlington County DirectionFinder Importance-Satisfaction Assessment Matrix
-Overall-(points on the graph show deviations from the mean importance and satisfaction ratings given by respondents to the survey)
mean importance
Importance RatingLower Importance Higher Importance
lower importance/higher satisfaction higher importance/higher satisfaction
lower importance/lower satisfaction higher importance/lower satisfaction
Exceeded Expectations
Less Important
Continued Emphasis
Source: ETC Institute (2015)
Management of trafficflow on County streets
Maintenance of County streets
Efforts to help preserve/protect environment
Effectiveness of the County's Smart Growth practices
Quality of County's human services
Emergency preparedness services
Enforcement of County codes and ordinances
Quality of County parks & recreation programs
Water/wastewater services
Police services
Effectiveness of County communication with the public
Quality of stormwater runoff system
Customer service from County employees
Fire/emergency medical/ambulance services
Quality of arts/cultural programs
Quality of library services
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 71
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Opportunities for Improvement
mean importance
Importance RatingLower Importance Higher Importance
lower importance/higher satisfaction higher importance/higher satisfaction
lower importance/lower satisfaction higher importance/lower satisfaction
Exceeded Expectations
Less Important
Continued Emphasis
2015 Arlington County DirectionFinder Importance-Satisfaction Assessment Matrix
-Public Works-(points on the graph show deviations from the mean importance and satisfaction ratings given by respondents to the survey)
Maintenance of major streets in Arlington County
Snow removal on neighborhood streets
Maintenance of streets your neighborhood
Maintenance of public sidewalks
Mowing/trimming along County streets/public areas
Cleanliness of streetsother public areas
Adequacy of street lighting in commercial areas
Maintenance of buildings
Adequacy of street lighting in your neighborhood
Snow removal on major County streets
Source: ETC Institute (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 72
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Opportunities for Improvement
mean importance
Importance RatingLower Importance Higher Importance
lower importance/higher satisfaction higher importance/higher satisfaction
lower importance/lower satisfaction higher importance/lower satisfaction
Exceeded Expectations
Less Important
Continued Emphasis
2015 Arlington County DirectionFinder Importance-Satisfaction Assessment Matrix
-Utility Services-(points on the graph show deviations from the mean importance and satisfaction ratings given by respondents to the survey)
Drinking water services
Waste water treatment services
Curbside recycling services
Yardwaste removal services
Residential trash collection services
Source: ETC Institute (2015)
Stormwater management services
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 73
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Opportunities for Improvement
mean importance
Importance RatingLower Importance Higher Importance
lower importance/higher satisfaction higher importance/higher satisfaction
lower importance/lower satisfaction higher importance/lower satisfaction
Exceeded Expectations
Less Important
Continued Emphasis
2015 Arlington County DirectionFinder Importance-Satisfaction Assessment Matrix
-Public Safety-(points on the graph show deviations from the mean importance and satisfaction ratings given by respondents to the survey)
The County's efforts to prevent crime
Enforcement of local traffic laws
Overall quality of local police service
How quickly public safety personnel responds
Enforcement of parking regulations
Quality of local emergency medical/ambulance service
Quality of local fire protection
Source: ETC Institute (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 74
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Opportunities for Improvement
mean importance
Importance RatingLower Importance Higher Importance
lower importance/higher satisfaction higher importance/higher satisfaction
lower importance/lower satisfaction higher importance/lower satisfaction
Exceeded Expectations
Less Important
Continued Emphasis
2015 Arlington County DirectionFinder Importance-Satisfaction Assessment Matrix
-Parks, Recreation, Sports and Arts-(points on the graph show deviations from the mean importance and satisfaction ratings given by respondents to the survey)
Maintenance of County parksWalking & biking trails
Indoor swimming pools
Fees charged for programs
Outdoor athletic fields
Visual/performing arts programming/facilites
Recreation programs
Community and nature centers
Efforts to preserve nature in the County
Off-leash dog areas
Special events sponsored by the County
Sports programs
Source: ETC Institute (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 75
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Opportunities for Improvement
mean importance
Importance RatingLower Importance Higher Importance
lower importance/higher satisfaction higher importance/higher satisfaction
lower importance/lower satisfaction higher importance/lower satisfaction
Exceeded Expectations
Less Important
Continued Emphasis
2015 Arlington County DirectionFinder Importance-Satisfaction Assessment Matrix
-Transportation Services-(points on the graph show deviations from the mean importance and satisfaction ratings given by respondents to the survey)
Availability of sidewalksPedestrian safety in your neighborhood
Ease of traveling within Arlington County
Quality of Metro rail services
Ease of travel from Arlington to other areas
Pedestrian safety in other areas of the county
Availability of bike trails and bike lanes
Quality of Arlington's public transit system (ART)
Availability of transportation for persons with disabilities
Source: ETC Institute (2015)
Availability of Bikeshare
Quality of Metro bus services
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 76
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Opportunities for Improvement
mean importance
Importance RatingLower Importance Higher Importance
lower importance/higher satisfaction higher importance/higher satisfaction
lower importance/lower satisfaction higher importance/lower satisfaction
Exceeded Expectations
Less Important
Continued Emphasis
2015 Arlington County DirectionFinder Importance-Satisfaction Assessment Matrix
-Code Enforcement-(points on the graph show deviations from the mean importance and satisfaction ratings given by respondents to the survey)
Enforcing noise regulationsEnforcing construction site conditions
Enforcing exterior maintenance of residential property
Enforcing exterior maintenanceof business property
Source: ETC Institute (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 77
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Opportunities for Improvement
mean importance
Importance RatingLower Importance Higher Importance
lower importance/higher satisfaction higher importance/higher satisfaction
lower importance/lower satisfaction higher importance/lower satisfaction
Exceeded Expectations
Less Important
Continued Emphasis
2015 Arlington County DirectionFinder Importance-Satisfaction Assessment Matrix
-Library Services-(points on the graph show deviations from the mean importance and satisfaction ratings given by respondents to the survey)
Depth and range of library collections
Hours libraries are open
Computer technology services
Programs for children
Programs for adults
Depth and range of electronic materials
Notifications about what's happening in library
Customer service effectiveness of in-person services
Source: ETC Institute (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 78
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Opportunities for Improvement
mean importance
Importance RatingLower Importance Higher Importance
lower importance/higher satisfaction higher importance/higher satisfaction
lower importance/lower satisfaction higher importance/lower satisfaction
Exceeded Expectations
Less Important
Continued Emphasis
2012 Arlington County DirectionFinder Importance-Satisfaction Assessment Matrix
-Health and Human Services-(points on the graph show deviations from the mean importance and satisfaction ratings given by respondents to the survey)
Availability of services to the unemployed
Availability of services to low/fixed income
Cleanliness/safety of food in restaurants
Overall quality of school health programs
Availability of services to seniors
Availability of quality services for persons with disabilities
Efforts to preserve/increase affordable housing
Source: ETC Institute (2015)
2015 Arlington County, Virginia DirectionFinder Survey: Final Report
ETC Institute (2015) Page 79