SR-202-001 (65)
Findings from
Opinion Research
2001
SANTA MONICA
RESIDENT SURVEY
Conducted for the
City of Santa Monica
GOODWIN SIMON STRATEGIC RESEARCH
TABLE OF CONTENTS
METHODOLOGY.......................................................................................................v
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................1
BACKGROUND......................................................................................................1
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS....................................................................................1
DETAILED FINDINGS................................................................................................5
GENERAL ATTITUDES ABOUT CITY SERVICES.............................................5
MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING SANTA MONICA..............................10
COMMUNICATION WITH RESIDENTS..........................................................11
INTERACTIONS WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS AND STAFF........................14
CITY-SPONSORED MEETINGS.........................................................................19
DRIVING IN DOWNTOWN SANTA MONICA...............................................20
EVENTS AT THE SANTA MONICA CIVIC AUDITORIUM...........................22
LIBRARY CLOSURE............................................................................................25
POLICIES RELATED TO TREES.........................................................................26
CIVIC CENTER REDEVELOPMENT.................................................................27
CONFIDENCE IN CITY EMERGENCY PREPARATIONS..............................28
BUS AND SHUTTLE USE....................................................................................29
SAMPLE DEMOGRAPHICS.....................................................................................32
APPENDIX A: QUESTIONNAIRE WITH AGGREGATE RESULTS
APPENDIX B: VERBATIM RESPONSES TO OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Survey Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
ii
Introductory Tables Page
TABLE OF FIGURES AND TABLES
Figure 1: Satisfaction with the Job the City is Doing to Provide City Services......5
Figure 2: Change in Overall Satisfaction Levels: 1999, 2000, and 2001..................6
Figure 3: Rating the City for Addressing Neighborhood Concerns........................7
Figure 4: Change in Ratings of How City Addresses Neighborhood Concerns....8
Figure 5: What Do You Feel the City Could Do to Improve Its Services?..............9
Figure 6: Most Important Issues Facing Santa Monica: 2000 and 2001................10
Figure 7: Rating the City for Communicating for Residents: 1999 - 2001............12
Figure 8: Sources of City Information (Top Responses).........................................13
Figure 9: Did You Visit City Hall in the Past Year?................................................14
Figure 10: Did You Contact a City Department or Employee in the Past Year?..15
Figure 11: Was Your Contact In Person, By Telephone, or Other Means?...........16
Figure 12: Were the City Staff You Dealt With Courteous or Discourteous?.......17
Figure 13: Did the City Department You Dealt With Respond to Your Needs?..18
Figure 14: Were You Satisfied or Dissatisfied with the Services You Received
After Contacting a City Department?...............................................................18
Figure 15: Have You Attended a City-Sponsored Meeting in the Past Year?......19
Figure 16: How Often Do You Drive Downtown? (Asked Of The 94% Who Say
They Drive Downtown)......................................................................................20
Figure 17: Was Directional Signage Downtown Useful in Dealing With
Construction?......................................................................................................21
Figure 18: Have You Attended An Event at the Civic in the Past Year?...............22
Figure 19: Visits to the Civic in the Past Year.........................................................23
Figure 20: Types of Events Attended at the Civic..................................................24
Figure 21: Preferences for Future Events at the Civic............................................24
Figure 22: Top Choices for Services to be Continued When the Library Closes (3
Choices Allowed)................................................................................................25
Figure 23: Favor or Oppose Replacing Trees That are Too Large or Damaging
Sidewalks?...........................................................................................................26
Figure 24: Favor or Oppose Policy Requiring Property Owners to Replace Trees?
..............................................................................................................................27
Figure 25: Percent Saying Each Use of Civic Center Would be “Very” Important
..............................................................................................................................28
Figure 26: How Confident Are You That the City Will Respond Appropriately to
an Emergency?....................................................................................................29
Figure 27: Have You Ridden a Big Blue Bus in the Past Year?.............................30
Figure 28: Have You Ridden the Tide Shuttle in the Past Year?...........................30
Figure 29: Length of Residence in Santa Monica...................................................32
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Survey Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
iii
Introductory Tables Page
Figure 30: Zip Codes and Neighborhoods of Residence.......................................33
Figure 31: Adults In Household.............................................................................34
Figure 32: Children In Household...........................................................................35
Figure 33: Active Member of Santa Monica Neighborhood Association?...........36
Figure 34: Do You Volunteer for Any Organizations within Santa Monica?......37
Figure 35: Employed in Santa Monica?....................................................................38
Figure 36: Type of Dwelling....................................................................................39
Figure 37: Own or Rent Residence..........................................................................40
Figure 38: Race/Ethnicity........................................................................................41
Figure 39: Age...........................................................................................................42
Figure 40: Income......................................................................................................43
Table 1: Methodology.................................................................................................v
Table 2: What Could the City Do to Improve Its Services (Coded Responses).....8
Table 3: Nature of Interaction with City Staff or Departments (Coded
Responses)...........................................................................................................17
Table 4: Source of Information About City Meetings.............................................20
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Survey Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
iv
Introductory Tables Page
METHODOLOGY
The City of Santa Monica asked Goodwin Simon Strategic Research to conduct a
telephone survey of adult residents of the city to assess satisfaction with city
programs and services and to explore public reaction to a variety of public policy
proposals.
This study was conducted between November 5 and 14, 2001. As shown in Table
1, 411 interviews were completed in English and Spanish, yielding a margin of
error of about plus or minus five percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
The survey was conducted in two waves. Initially, we completed 400 interviews
from residents randomly identified from across the city using a random-digit-
dial methodology, in which a random list of all active residential telephone
numbers served as the sample. Respondents were screened to exclude those
under age 18.
To ensure proper representation of Latinos in the final results, we conducted a
second wave of 11 additional interviews with Latinos, drawing randomly from a
sample of Latinos who are listed in the Santa Monica telephone directory.
Including this over-sample, about 10 percent of the survey respondents are
Latino. Recent U.S. Census Data suggests a Latino adult population in the city of
about 12 percent.
In fact, the survey demographic findings generally approximate recent Census
data for adult residents on most indicators. One exception is the number of
renters compared to homeowners. The 2001 study found that 56 percent of
adults responding rent their residence, which is fairly similar to the proportion
found in the 1999 and 2000 study of residents commissioned by the city.
However, recent U.S. Census data suggests that 70 percent of the city’s
households are rental households.
Table 1: Methodology
Technique Telephone interviewing
Interview Length 16 minutes
Universe Adult residents of Santa Monica
Field Dates November 5-14, 2001
Sample Random-digit-dial, plus listed sample of Latinos
Sample Size 411
Margin of Error +/- 5%
Languages English and Spanish
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Survey Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Methodology Page v
In this summary, a “satisfied” response refers to “very “ and “somewhat”
satisfied ratings combined. A “dissatisfied” response refers to “very” and
“somewhat ” ratings combined. “Newcomers” refer to those who have been in
Santa Monica for four years or less, while “long-time residents” refer to those
who have lived in the city for 15 years or more.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Survey Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Methodology Page vi
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Monica asked Goodwin Simon Strategic Research to
conduct a telephone survey of Santa Monica residents to assess attitudes
about city services and to identify changes in attitudes compared to
similar studies conducted in 1998, 1999, and 2000. In addition, the survey
explored residents’ reactions to a series of policy issues and questions
facing the city.
A total of 411 interviews were completed, including an over-sample of 11
Latinos to ensure a 10 percent representation of Latinos in the results.
This proportion is comparable to the 12 percent proportion of Latinos
among adult Santa Monica residents found in the 2000 U.S. Census data.
The survey was conducted in English and Spanish between November 5
and 14, 2001. The margin of error for this study is about plus or minus 5
percent at a 95 percent confidence level, which meets all professional
standards for studies of this kind.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
As was seen in previous years, Santa Monica residents express quite
positive views about the services provided to them by city government.
Fully 84 percent say they are “very” or “somewhat” satisfied with “the job
Rating
Satisfaction
the city of Santa Monica is doing to provide city services.” This figure
with City
reflects an increase over the levels found a year ago, and nearly regains
Services
the very high levels of satisfaction found in the 1999 resident survey.
In addition to this general rating about how people feel about city
services, the survey also reveals interesting information about what
concerns people in Santa Monica and suggestions for improving services.
Issues related to the homeless, growth, housing, and traffic top the list of
Top Concerns
concerns voiced by residents. However, concern about growth and
Among Santa
housing fell substantially in the past year, with concern about traffic
Monica Residents
increasing over that time.
About the City
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Survey Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Executive Summary Page 1
A separate question asked residents what they feel the city should do to
improve its services. While addressing the city’s homeless problem was
Suggestions for
again one of the most frequently cited response, the proportion offering
Improving City
this suggestion is half what we found in the 2000 study. Addressing
Services
traffic concerns was a high priority for residents, along with better
communication with residents. Interest in having the city improve efforts
to reduce crime has declined over the past four years. Again, the actual
responses offered by respondents can be found in Appendix B.
While improving communications was one of the top suggestions made
by residents for ways to improve city services, we did see very high levels
Satisfaction with
of satisfaction with the way the city communicates with residents when
City
this item was specifically tested. Seventy-three percent said they were
Communications
Efforts
satisfied with the city’s efforts to communicate with residents.
As we have seen in previous years, the Seascape newsletter remains the
primary way that residents get information about the city, along with the
city cable channel, the city website, the Los Angeles Times, and the Mirror
newspaper.
This year’s study asked several questions related to the Santa Monica
Civic Auditorium. For example, we found that 30 percent said they had
Events at the
Santa Monica
attended an event there in the past year. Of those who went to the Civic
Civic
at least once, the average number of visits was 2.2. These residents were
Auditorium
most likely to have attended a consumer show (58%), followed by a
festival (43%), and a performing arts event (31%).
Among all residents, however, the preferences for future events at the
Civic were somewhat different. Thirty-six percent said they would prefer
to see more concerts, 25 percent want to see more performing arts events,
13 percent want to see more educational events or lectures, and just 11
percent want to see more consumer shows.
Moving to the Civic Center area adjacent to the Civic, we found that the
Suggestions for
highest priorities for the use of the land were relatively passive activities:
the Civic Center
park space for sitting and reading, walking and biking paths, and gardens.
Area
A pre-school and affordable housing were also seen as high priorities
along with a space for festivals. There was much less interest in using the
area for a hotel or for commercial office buildings.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Survey Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Executive Summary Page 2
The survey tested response to several proposed policies related to trees.
Fully 68 percent favored a possible policy that would have the city replace
Tree Policies
trees that are damaging sidewalks or have grown overly large. Sixty-three
percent would favor a policy to require property owners to replace any
trees they remove, or to pay into a tree fund.
Residents had some clear priorities for library services they wish to see
Library Services
maintained after the main library is closed for reconstruction next year.
Most importantly, they want to see children’s services continued. The
next highest priorities are the non-fiction collection and public internet
access. Fiction and periodicals were slightly lower priorities.
The survey tested reactions to directional signage and traffic flow
Downtown
assistance in place during the construction of the Downtown Transit Mall.
Traffic
Two of three residents say they drive downtown at least once a week,
Management
with a third who drive there on a daily basis. Of those who drive
downtown, 39 percent said they found the new signage useful in dealing
with the construction. Fifty-seven percent say they have seen more traffic
officers on duty and, of those who noticed the officers, two-thirds said that
the officers have helped relieve congestion.
Close to half the city’s residents (46%) visited City Hall in the past year,
Visiting City
Hall
and many visited frequently. The mean number of visits was 5.5
(although the median number of visits was 2, suggesting a small number
of people go there quite often). Twenty percent of the city’s residents
have been to City Hall at least six times in the past year.
Just over half the city’s residents (52%) say they have contacted a city
government department or staff member in the past year, with 35 percent
of those contacts by telephone, and 55 percent in person.
Contacts with
City Staff and
Of those who contacted a city department or staff member, fully 90
Departments
percent said the people they dealt with were courteous. Nearly as many,
75 percent, said the people they dealt with were responsive to their needs.
And 72 percent were satisfied with the services they received after
contacting a city department.
Attending City-
Eighteen percent of the city’s residents have attended a city-sponsored
Sponsored
meeting in the past year, with their awareness of such meetings coming
Meetings
primarily from mailed notices.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Survey Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Executive Summary Page 3
In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attack, fully 70 percent of the
Confidence in
Emergency
city’s residents are “very” or “somewhat” confident about the city’s ability
Services
to respond appropriately to an emergency.
Bus and Shuttle
Fifty-four percent of the city’s residents rode the Big Blue Bus in the last
Ridership
year, and 15 percent took the Tide Shuttle.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Survey Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Executive Summary Page 4
DETAILED FINDINGS
GENERAL ATTITUDES ABOUT CITY SERVICES
The survey included two closed-end questions asking residents to rate
general attitudes about city services, and a third (open-ended) question
asking residents to suggest steps the city could take to improve its services
to residents.
The first question asked residents to rate their overall levels of satisfaction
Overall
Satisfaction
with city services. Most Santa Monica residents (84%) are “very” or
with City
“somewhat” satisfied with “the job the City of Santa Monica is doing to
Services
provide city services.” Only 13 percent are dissatisfied. (See Figure 1).
Figure 1: Satisfaction with the Job the City is Doing to Provide City Services
Very
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Not Sure
5%
8%
3%
Very
Somewhat
Satisfied
Satisfied
35%
49%
We observed several significant variations in response by different
subgroups within the city:
?
Overall satisfaction with city services is especially high (94%) in the
Ocean Park area of zip code 90405 (i.e. west of Lincoln Blvd).
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Survey Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 5
?
Satisfaction declines slightly with age, from 93 percent of those
under 35 who are satisfied, compared to 77 percent of those over
age 55. It also declines somewhat with length of residency, from 91
percent among those who have been in Santa Monica for less than
five years, to 75 percent among those who have lived in the city for
15 years or more.
?
Among those who visit City Hall regularly (8 or more times a year),
satisfaction with city services is lower (68%) compared to those
who have visited City Hall less frequently (about 86%).
Dissatisfaction is twice as high (17%) among those who have
contacted a government department compared to those who have
not (8%). It should be noted that the fraction who are dissatisfied is
quite small, and it is not unexpected that people who visit City Hall
or contact city government are more likely to be doing so because
they have concerns or problems they need resolved.
Figure 2: Change in Overall Satisfaction Levels: 1999, 2000, and 2001
100
89
84
80
80
60
40
15
20
14
10
0
SatisfiedDissatisfied
199920002001
The second question having to do with general attitudes regarding city
services asked residents to rate the city’s performance in “addressing
Satisfaction
neighborhood concerns.” Fifty-seven percent say the city is doing an
with How City
“excellent” or “good” job “of addressing neighborhood concerns.” Thirty-
Addresses
Neighborhood
three percent rate the city negatively in this area, including 9 percent who
Concerns
say the city is doing a “poor” job in addressing neighborhood concerns.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 6
Figure 3: Rating the City for Addressing Neighborhood Concerns
Not Sure
10%
Poor
Excellent
9%
10%
Fair
24%
Good
47%
There are a few key differences in the likelihood of being dissatisfied
with how the city addresses neighborhood concerns. Dissatisfaction is
higher:
?
Among homeowners (39%) and those who live in single family
homes (49%) compared to renters (28%) and multiple family home
dwellers (29%).
?
Among those residing in Santa Monica 15 years or more (44%)
compared to newcomers (22 percent).
?
Among those who have visited City Hall 8 times or more (50%)
compared to those who have visited less often (30%).
?
Among those who have contacted a city government department or
staffer (39%) compared to those who have not (27%).
?
Among seniors (45%) compared to younger residents (ranging
from 18% for those under 35 to 35% for those aged 35-44).
As shown in Figure 4, these rating figures are somewhat less positive from
what was found in 2000.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 7
Figure 4: Change in Ratings of How City Addresses Neighborhood Concerns
70
65
57
60
50
40
33
30
30
20
10
0
Excellent/GoodFair/Poor
20002001
In an open-ended question, residents were asked to name up to three
What the City
things the city could do to improve its services. The responses were
Could Do to
grouped and coded to ease reporting. As shown in Table 2, residents are
Improve
most likely to ask the city to improve efforts to ease the homeless problem
Services?
in the city (including getting them off the streets), to communicate better,
to address traffic and parking issues, and to be more responsive to
residents.
Table 2: What Could the City Do to Improve Its Services (Coded Responses)
Percent
Address Homeless 16
Communicate Better 14
Improve Traffic Safety/Congestion 12
Be More Responsive 10
Provide More Parking 8
Repair Streets/Sidewalks 7
Cut Waste 7
Stop Growth 5
Improve Pedestrian Safety 3
Reduce Crime 3
Offer More Recycling 3
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 8
Figure 5 shows changes in response to this question since 1998.
Figure 5: What Do You Feel the City Could Do to Improve Its Services?
Top Responses Only -- Open-ended Codes
3
4
Reduce Crime
5
9
16
21
Address Traffic
12
2
2001
5
14
2000
Stop Growth
6
2
1999
8
1998
8
More Parking
7
6
14
18
Communicate with
12
Residents
4
16
31
Address Homelessness
13
22
05101520253035
The one clear change has been a steady decline in concern about crime
since that time. For the other items shown in Figure 5, we see a pattern in
which responses peaked last year, and have returned in 2001 to levels
comparable to those seen the year before. In particular, we see this when
it comes to homelessness. It should be noted that these differences might
be due to variations in how responses are coded or the ordering of the
questions, rather than reflecting real changes in attitudes.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 9
MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING SANTA MONICA
Early in the survey, residents were asked to name in their own words
what they felt were the most important issues facing the city. They were
allowed to name up to three responses, which were then grouped and
coded to ease reporting.
Figure 6: Most Important Issues Facing Santa Monica: 2000 and 2001
T op Responses -- Multiple
Responses OK
22
Too Many Homeless
22
14
Too Much Growth
26
10
Lack of Affordable Housing
23
5
Lack of Homeless Services
13
2001
11
Lack of Parking
13
2000
6
Education
11
8
Crime
11
9
10
Environmental Issues
21
Traffic
9
051015202530
We can see that there has been a sizable increase in concern about traffic
congestion over the past year (from 9 percent to 21 percent), and also a
sharp decline in concern about affordable housing and growth.
There were a few significant differences of note by subgroup in what are
considered to be the problems of greatest concern:
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 10
?
Eighteen percent of long-time residents said that growth was the
most important problem, compared to only 8 percent of
newcomers. Long-time residents were also more concerned about
traffic (26%) than were newcomers (14%). Newcomers, on the
other hand, were more concerned about the homeless (26%) than
long-time residents (16%).
?
Members of neighborhood groups were more likely to cite
homelessness as the key issue (24%) compared to residents who did
not belong to a neighborhood group (12%).
?
Education was named as the most serious problem by 17 percent of
parents, compared to just 3 percent of non-parents.
?
Homeless issues were of greatest concern in zip codes 90401
(downtown) and 90403 (between Wilshire and Montana).
COMMUNICATION WITH RESIDENTS
Nearly three of four (73 percent) are satisfied with “the City’s efforts to
Satisfaction With
communicate with Santa Monica residents through newsletters, the
How City
Internet, and other means.” Twenty-one percent express dissatisfaction,
Communicates
With Residents
as shown in Figure 7.
Satisfaction is higher among:
?
Women under 55 (81%) compared to those in other age/gender
groupings.
?
Those who had a personal contact with a city staff member (81%)
compared to those who had a telephone contact (64%).
?
Latinos (85%) compared to whites (72%).
Dissatisfaction is higher among:
?
Men (26%) compared to women (17%).
?
Those who visit City Hall eight times a year or more (43%)
compared to those who visit less often (about 16%).
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 11
Figure 7: Rating the City for Communicating for Residents: 1999 - 2001
90
81
74
80
73
70
60
50
40
30
21
18
20
13
10
0
PositiveNegative
199920002001
As has been the case in past years, the Seascape newsletter, the Los
Information
Sources
Angeles Times, and City TV rank as Santa Monica residents’ top three
About City
sources of information about their city. After these sources, residents
News And
identify special postcard mailings, the City’s website, and the Mirror
Events
newspaper as the next most likely group of resources they use for city
news (See Figure 8). Compared to last year, we found a sizable increase in
the fraction who say they read the Mirror.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 12
Figure 8: Sources of City Information (Top Responses)
35
Seascape Newsletter38
29
18
LA Times
18
29
City TV
20
14
2001
9
Postcards
14
2000
14
1999
8
City's website
11
8
7
Friends/Family/Neighbors
14
6
Mirror
2
6
6
Santa Monica Sun
15
5
4
Lookout
7
0510152025303540
Web
Information
We also asked residents if they subscribe to the city’s Web Information
Network
Network. Only 4 percent of the city’s residents are subscribers. Men
under age 54 (9%) and Latinos (18%) are the most likely to say they are
subscribers.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 13
INTERACTIONS WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS AND STAFF
We asked a number of questions to explore the frequency and nature of
contacts residents have with city departments and staff, and to assess their
satisfaction with such contacts.
Nearly half the city’s residents (46%) visited City Hall in the past year, as
shown in Figure 9. Those most likely to have visited City Hall include:
Visiting City
Hall
?
Single-family home dwellers (57%) compared to apartment or
condo dwellers (41%).
?
Those earning more than $125,000 per year (59%) compared to
those earning less (about 43%).
Figure 9: Did You Visit City Hall in the Past Year?
No
54%
Yes
46%
Of those who did visit City Hall, the mean number of visits was 5.5, with a
median number of visits at 2. This suggests that a relatively small number
Frequency of
of people visited very often. In fact, about half of those who visited City
Visits to City
Hall were there only once or twice in the past year, while 27 percent
Hall
visited three to five times, and 20 percent visited six or more times.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 14
The mean number of visits for residents over age 55 was 8, compared to
just 3 visits for those under age 35.
Contact with
We then asked all respondents whether they had contacted a city
City
department or employee in the past year for any reason. Just over half, 52
Department
or Employee
percent, answered affirmatively, as shown in Figure 10.
Figure 10: Did You Contact a City Department or Employee in the Past Year?
No
48%
Yes
52%
Those most likely to have had such contact include:
?
Long-time residents (60%) compared to newcomers (43%).
?
Members of neighborhood associations (63%) compared to non-
members (51%).
?
Residents of zip code 90405 (Sunset Park and Ocean Park, at 64%)
compared in particular to those in zip codes 90404 (Pico and Mid-
City, at 42%) and 90401 (downtown, at 33%).
?
Homeowners (60%) compared to renters (47%).
?
Whites (51%) compared to non-whites (41%).
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 15
?
Those earning more than $125,000 per year (69%) compared to
those earning less (about 48%).
We then asked them to tell us whether that contact was in person or by
Was Contact
by Phone or
telephone.
In Person?
As shown in Figure 11, most of these contacts were by phone.
Men were much more likely than women to have in-person contacts,
while women were more likely to make contact by telephone.
Frequent City Hall visitors were more likely to have in-person contacts,
while those who rarely or never visit City Hall are more likely to have
phone contacts.
Those who earn less than $40,000 per year were far more likely than the
most affluent to have in-person contacts.
Figure 11: Was Your Contact In Person, By Telephone, or Other Means?
All of the
Email
Above
In Person
6%
4%
35%
Phone
55%
We also asked residents who have had some encounter with city staff or
departments to specify the nature of that interaction. As shown in Table 3,
most of the interactions have something to do with permits, information,
or complaints.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 16
Table 3: Nature of Interaction with City Staff or Departments (Coded Responses)
Percent
Nature of
Permit or license 19
Interaction
Requested information 17
Complaint about parking, traffic, or neighborhood 16
General complaint 15
Encounter with police 9
Finally, we asked those who had some encounter with the city whether
the staff they dealt with were courteous and responsive, and if they were
satisfied with the services they received after contacting the city.
Were City
As shown in Figure 12, almost everyone (90%) reported that the city staff
Staff
they dealt with were courteous. There were no significant differences by
Courteous?
resident subgroups.
Figure 12: Were the City Staff You Dealt With Courteous or Discourteous?
Courteous5337
Discourteous10
020406080100
Very CourteousSomewhat Courteous
Slightly lower, but still high fractions of the respondents (75%) said that
the city departments they contacted were responsive to their needs, as
Was City
Responsive to
shown in Figure 13.
Your Needs?
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 17
Figure 13: Did the City Department You Dealt With Respond to Your Needs?
4728
Responsive
Unresponsive23
020406080
Very ResponsiveSomewhat Responsive
Nearly three in four residents (72%) who had an encounter with a city
department said they were satisfied with the services they received. Only
22 percent were dissatisfied, as shown in Figure 14.
Figure 14: Were You Satisfied or Dissatisfied with the Services You Received After
Contacting a City Department?
Satisfied4032
Satisfaction
with Services
Received
22
Dissatified
020406080
Very SatisfiedSomewhat Satisfied
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 18
Homeowners were slightly more likely to be dissatisfied with the services
they received (28%) than renters (17%).
CITY-SPONSORED MEETINGS
About one in five residents have attended a meeting sponsored by the city
in the past year, including city council meetings, a city commission
meeting, or a workshop of some kind. (See Figure 15.)
Figure 15: Have You Attended a City-Sponsored Meeting in the Past Year?
Attended City
Yes
Meeting?
18%
No
82%
Those most likely to have attended such meetings include:
?
Residents over age 55 (28%).
?
Homeowners (25%).
?
Long-time residents (25%).
?
Members of a neighborhood association (31%).
We then asked residents who had attended such a meeting where they
had heard about it. As shown in Table 4, mailings people receive from the
Source of
Information
city are by far the most common source of information about these
meetings.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 19
Table 4: Source of Information About City Meetings
Percent
Mailings 31
Regular Schedule 19
Friends/Relatives 19
Flyers 11
Newspaper Notice 7
On Line 4
DRIVING IN DOWNTOWN SANTA MONICA
We asked questions that were intended to gauge the impact of traffic
mitigation measures associated with the downtown Transit Mall
Construction area.
Fully 94 percent of residents have driven to downtown Santa Monica in
the past year. Of those, a third drive there on a daily basis, and another
Frequency of
37 percent drive there at least once a week. Thus, about two thirds of the
Driving to
Downtown
city’s residents drive downtown at least weekly (see Figure 16).
Santa Monica
Figure 16: How Often Do You Drive Downtown? (Asked Of The 94% Who Say They
Drive Downtown)
Less than
once/month
Few times a
Once a month
5%
month
7%
18%
Daily
33%
Once a week
37%
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 20
Nearly 40 percent (39%) say the new directional signage downtown has
Was Signage
been useful in dealing with the construction, as shown in Figure 17. Fifty-
Useful in
Dealing With
eight percent said they did not notice the signage or found it not useful.
Construction?
Figure 17: Was Directional Signage Downtown Useful in Dealing With Construction?
Not Noticed
Not Sure
33%
3%
Useful
39%
Not Useful
25%
More than half (57%) of those driving downtown say they have noticed
that there are more traffic officers on duty, and two thirds (67%) of those
Awareness
and Impact of
people say that the presence of these officers “has helped relieve
Traffic
congestion at the busiest downtown intersections.”
Officers
Downtown
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 21
EVENTS AT THE SANTA MONICA CIVIC AUDITORIUM
About one in three (30%) Santa Monica residents say they have attended
an event at the Civic Auditorium in the past year, as shown in Figure 18.
Figure 18: Have You Attended An Event at the Civic in the Past Year?
Yes
30%
No
70%
Those most likely to have attended an event there include:
Attending an
?
Women over age 55 (38%)
Event at the
Santa Monica
?
Long-time residents (37%)
Civic
Auditorium
?
People who visit City Hall frequently (57%)
?
People who have contacted a city department (41%)
?
People who live in zip code 90405 (Sunset Park and Ocean Park, at
41%)
?
Homeowners (36%)
?
People over age 44 (37%)
?
People with incomes above $125,000 per year (43%).
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 22
Among those who have attended any event at the Civic, the mean number
of visits per year is two. About a third of those who have attended an
event there visited three or more times in the past year (See Figure 19).
Figure 19: Visits to the Civic in the Past Year
40
39
35
Frequency of
Attendance at
30
2525
the Santa
25
Monica Civic
Auditorium
20
15
9
10
5
0
Once Twice3-4 Times5+ Times
?
Fully half the 55+ residents who had visited the Civic went three or
more times in the past year.
?
Frequency of attendance was also higher among non-whites, with
50 percent of non-whites visiting three or more times in the past
year, compared to just 29 percent of whites.
As shown in Figure 20, residents were most likely to say that they had
seen a consumer show or festival at the Civic.
Women over 55 were much more likely (60%) than other age/gender
groupings to have seen a performing arts show at the Civic. Parents were
also more likely (55%) to have seen a performing arts show than non-
parents.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 23
Figure 20: Types of Events Attended at the Civic
60
58
50
Type of Event
43
40
34
31
30
20
10
0
PerformingFestivalConsumerOther
ArtsShow
In Figure 21, we see that when all respondents were asked to pick the type
of program they would most like to see at the Civic, concerts were the
most popular choice, followed by performing arts events. Consumer
shows, which is the type of event that people are most likely to have
actually attended there, is far less popular.
Figure 21: Preferences for Future Events at the Civic
40
36
35
Preferences for
Future Events
30
25
at the Civic
25
20
13
15
11
10
5
0
ConcertsDance/TheaterConsumerEducational
ShowsPrograms
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 24
?
Men (40%) are more interested in concerts than women (31%),
while women are more interested in performing arts events (29%,
to 20% for men).
?
Non-whites are a little bit more interested in performing arts (33%)
than whites (24%).
LIBRARY CLOSURE
Which Library
Services Should
We asked residents which three of six library services they would most
Be Continued
After Library is
like to see continued when the main library is closed for construction next
Closed for
year. As shown in Figure 22, continuing children’s services was the
Construction?
highest priority for residents, followed by non-fiction, Internet access,
fiction, periodicals, and videos/CDs.
Figure 22: Top Choices for Services to be Continued When the Library Closes (3
Choices Allowed)
70
64
60
55
50
44
40
36
32
30
2018
10
0
Childrens'Non-FictionInternetFictionPeriodicalsVideos/CDs
ServicesAccess
?
Nonfiction is the highest priority in zip codes 90402 (north of
Montana, at 63%) and 90403 (between Wilshire and Montana, at
67%). It is also a higher priority for whites (60%) compared to non-
whites (49%).
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 25
?
Internet access is a higher priority for non-whites (51%) than for
whites (38%), and for those under 35 (68%) compared to older
residents. It is also more important for renters (50%) compared to
homeowners, and to those in zip codes 90401 (downtown, at 57%)
and 90404 (Pico and Mid-City, at 55%).
?
Children’s’ services are especially important to parents (80%),
single family home dwellers (73%), and non-whites (71%).
POLICIES RELATED TO TREES
We asked residents about a proposed city policy to replace trees that are
Reaction to
too large or are damaging sidewalks. Sixty-eight percent favored the
Proposed Tree
policy, with only 24 percent opposed. (See Figure 23).
Removal
Policies
Figure 23: Favor or Oppose Replacing Trees That are Too Large or Damaging
Sidewalks?
Favor3830
Strongly
Somewhat
Oppose1410
020406080
There is greater opposition among men under age 55 (36%) than among
other age/gender groupings.
Newcomers are more likely to be opposed to this policy (31%) than long-
time residents.
We also asked about a different tree policy, which would determine how
property owners would replace any trees they remove from private
Reaction to
property. The property owner could either relocate the tree on the
Proposed Tree
Replacement
Policy
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 26
property, replace it with new trees on the property, or pay a fee to pay for
public trees to be planted elsewhere.
Sixty-three percent favor this policy, with 31 percent opposed, as shown in
Figure 24.
Opposition is quite high among certain groups, including:
?
Long-time city residents (41% opposed)
?
Homeowners (38%), and
?
Single-family home dwellers (42%).
Figure 24: Favor or Oppose Policy Requiring Property Owners to Replace Trees?
Favor3429
Strongly
Somewhat
Oppose238
020406080
CIVIC CENTER REDEVELOPMENT
To assist the city in the process of updating the Civic Center Special Plan,
Priorities for
we asked residents to rate the importance to them of a series of possible
Use of Civic
future uses for the Civic Center area. Residents had some clear priorities,
Center Area
as shown in Figure 25. Park space for sitting and reading, walking and
biking paths, gardens, festival space, and a pre-school site were among the
highest priorities.
?
Latinos were more likely (40%) than whites (22%) to prefer
basketball and tennis courts, a pre-school (65% to 38% for whites),
and park space for festivals (58% to 42).
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 27
?
Those earning less than $40,000 were far more likely than their
more affluent neighbors to prefer that the area be used for
affordable housing (52%) and a pre-school (53%). Residents of zip
code 90404 (Pico and Mid-City) were also more likely than others
to prefer that the area be used for affordable housing and a pre-
school.
Figure 25: Percent Saying Each Use of Civic Center Would be “Very” Important
Park Space51
Paths49
Pre-School43
Gardens42
Festival Space42
Affordable Housing40
Basketball/Tennis24
Playing Fields19
Hotels5
Office Buildings4
0102030405060
CONFIDENCE IN CITY EMERGENCY PREPARATIONS
Most Santa Monica residents express confidence in the city’s ability to
respond to an emergency. In fact, 70 percent say they are “very” or
“somewhat” confident that the city will respond appropriately to an
emergency in the wake of the September 11 tragedy. (See Figure 26).
?
Women (76%) are more confident than men (62%) about how the
Ability of City
to Respond in
city would handle an emergency.
an Emergency
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 28
Figure 26: How Confident Are You That the City Will Respond Appropriately to an
Emergency?
Very
Not Sure
Not Confident
Confident
12%
at All
24%
7%
Not that
Confident
12%
Somewhat
Confident
45%
BUS AND SHUTTLE USE
More than half the city’s residents (54%) have used the Big Blue Bus in the
Likelihood of
past year, as shown in Figure 27. This includes:
Using Big Blue
Bus and Tide
?
Sixty percent of women, and 66 percent of women over age 55,
Shuttle
compared to just 46 percent of men.
?
Two-thirds (66%) of those living in zip code 90404 (Pico and Mid-
City).
?
Two-thirds (66%) of those with three or more people in the
household.
?
Sixty-three percent of those with kids in the home.
?
Sixty percent of those working in Santa Monica.
?
Sixty-one percent of non-whites, compared to 51 percent of whites.
?
Fifty-nine percent of those over age 45, compared to 51 percent of
those ages 35-44, and 43 percent of those age 18-34.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 29
Figure 27: Have You Ridden a Big Blue Bus in the Past Year?
No
46%
Yes
54%
Ridership of the Tide Shuttle is much lower, with just 15 percent saying
they have used it in the past year. (See Figure 28).
Figure 28: Have You Ridden the Tide Shuttle in the Past Year?
Yes
15%
No
85%
Those most likely to have used the Tide Shuttle include:
?
Twenty-nine percent of those who live in zip code 90405 (Sunset
Park and Ocean Park) and 47 percent of those in that zip code who
live west of Lincoln Boulevard.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 30
?
Twenty-one percent of non-whites compared to 13 percent of
whites, and
?
Twenty-two percent of those earning less than $40,000 annually
compared to just 8 percent of those earning more than $125,000 per
year.
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 31
SAMPLE DEMOGRAPHICS
In addition to the substantive service items and policy issues it addresses,
the survey includes a detailed series of demographic questions. The
following section presents the results for these demographic questions in
graphical form, with comments about the findings or about subgroup
differences where they are of interest.
Length of Residence
Among respondents, the mean length of residence in Santa Monica is 15
years. Those who visit City Hall eight or more times a year have a much
longer mean length of residence compared to those who visit City Hall
less often. The same is true of people who say they have contacted a city
department or belong to a neighborhood association. Residency in zip
code 90402 (north of Montana) is much longer than in other areas of the
city.
Figure 29: Length of Residence in Santa Monica
14+ Years
41%
0-4 Years
30%
10-14 Years
5-9 Years
11%
18%
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 32
Zip Code Distribution
Figure 30: Zip Codes and Neighborhoods of Residence
90405
(Sunset/Ocean
Not Sure
90401
Park)
3%
(Downtown)
31%
7%
90402 (N. of
Montana)
12%
90404 (Pico &
Mid-City)
90403 (B/w
18%
Wilshire &
Montana)
29%
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 33
Adults in the Household
More than half of all residents over age 55 live with no other adults.
Nearly half (47%) of apartment or condo dwellers say they live with no
other adults, as do half the city’s renters. Forty-five percent of whites say
they live with no other adults, compared to just 31 percent of non-whites.
Figure 31: Adults In Household
Not Sure
3
3%
4
10%
2%
2
44%
1
41%
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 34
Children in the Household
Figure 32: Children In Household
Refused
1
2%
12%
None
2 to 3
76%
10%
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 35
Member of a Neighborhood Association
The zip codes with the highest proportion of members of neighborhood
associations are 90402 (north of Montana, at 22%) and 90405 (Sunset Park
and Ocean Park, at 17%). Fully 19 percent of those who say they own a
home also say they are a member of a neighborhood association.
Figure 33: Active Member of Santa Monica Neighborhood Association?
Yes
12%
No
88%
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 36
Volunteering for Organizations Located in Santa Monica
Figure 34: Do You Volunteer for Any Organizations within Santa Monica?
Yes
25%
No
75%
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 37
Employed in Santa Monica
A third of the respondents say they work full or part time in Santa
Monica. In addition, 20 percent say that they live in the same household
with someone else who works in Santa Monica.
Figure 35: Employed in Santa Monica?
Refused
1%
No
66%
Yes
33%
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 38
Type of Dwelling
The likelihood of living in a single family home rises with age (from 8% of
those under 35 to 40% of those over 55) and income (from 19% of those
earning less than $40,000 per year, to 48% of those earning more than
$125,000 per year. Whites and non-whites in Santa Monica are equally
likely to live in a single family home.
Figure 36: Type of Dwelling
Condo or
Townhouse
Other
21%
2%
Single Family
27%
Apartment
50%
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 39
Home Ownership Status
This is one question in which the results of this study varied significantly
from those found in the recent U.S. Census. In our study, 56 percent of
adult respondents said they rented their residency (See Figure 37). This
is similar to the results from other telephone surveys conducted by the
city in recent years. However, the 2001 U.S. Census suggests that 70
percent of the city lives in rental housing. This discrepancy may be due to
a greater reluctance of lower income respondents (who are more likely to
be renters) to complete a telephone interview, thus reducing the
proportion of renters in the sample.
Figure 37: Own or Rent Residence
Other
Rent2%
56%
Own
42%
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 40
Race/Ethnicity
The 2000 U.S. Census found that 12 percent of the city’s adults were
Latinos, compared to the 10 percent included in our sample. Census data
matched our findings for the proportion of Asians (7%) and African-
Americans (3%) in the adult population. The Census found that 72
percent of Santa Monica residents were white, compared to 68 percent in
our survey, which is well within the margin of error for a sample of this
size.
Figure 38: Race/Ethnicity
Other/Mixed
Refused
6%
Asian
6%
Latino
7%
Black
10%
3%
White
68%
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 41
Age
The study’s findings for age are relatively similar to those found in the
2001 U.S. Census for adults, with the exception of the age grouping 45-54.
In this study, 26 percent were found among in that age bracket, compared
to 18 percent in the U.S. Census.
Figure 39: Age
30
26
25
232323
20
18
17
16
15
14
13
10
10
5
5
4
0
18-3425-3435-4445-5455-6465+
GSSR StudyCensus Data
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 42
Income
The median income reported in our study was between $60,000 and
$80,000, well above the approximately $50,000 per year 1998 median
household income reported by the
Santa MonicaCommunity Profile
published by the Rand Corporation in 2000. However, the large
proportion of respondents who refused to reveal their incomes in our
study (19%, as shown in Figure 40) makes it difficult to compare these
findings.
Figure 40: Income
20
19
18
16
16
1515
14
12
1010
10
8
8
7
6
4
2
0
Under$20-40K$40-60K$60-80K$80-$100-$125K+Refused
$20K100K125K
City of Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study Goodwin Simon Strategic Research
Detailed Findings Page 43
APPENDIX A
QUESTIONNAIRE WITH
AGGREGATE RESULTS
Aggregate Results GOODWIN SIMON STRATEGIC RESEARCH N=411
Project 2110 Santa Monica 2001 Resident Study November, 2001
Date ___________________________________
Time Started _____________________
GENDER
Time Ended _______________________
MALE...........46%
...........................
FEMALE.......54
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hello, I’m ______________ from GSSR, a national public opinion research firm. We've been asked by the city of
Santa Monica to conduct a survey of local residents about their satisfaction with city services and programs, and
your telephone number was selected at random. We are not trying to sell you anything. All of your responses
will be kept strictly confidential.
According to the research procedure, may I speak to the adult in the house age 18 or older who celebrated a
birthday most recently?
[REPEAT INTRODUCTION IF RESPONDENT IS NOT PERSON WHO FIRST ANSWERED
PHONE]
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. First, what city do you live in?
In Santa Monica------------------------------100%
Other City--------------------------TERMINATE
DK/NA-----TERMINATE
(DON’T READ)
2. How long have you lived in Santa Monica? (RECORD EXACT AMOUNT, AND CODE IN RANGES)
0-4 YEARS-------------------------------------------------------------30%
5-9 YEARS-------------------------------------------------------------18
10-14 YEARS----------------------------------------------------------11
14+ YEARS------------------------------------------------------------42
DK/NA------------------------------------------0
(DON’T READ)
3. Generally speaking, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the job the City of Santa Monica is doing to
provide city services? (IF SATISFIED/DISSATISFIED ASK:) “Would that be very (satisfied/dissatisfied)
or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)?”
Very satisfied---------------------------------------------------------35%
Somewhat satisfied-------------------------------------------------49
Somewhat dissatisfied-----------------------------------------------8
Very dissatisfied-------------------------------------------------------5
DK/NA------------------------------------------4
(DON’T READ)
4. What would you say are the one or two most important issues facing the City of Santa Monica today?
(RECORD UP TO TWO RESPONSES – RECORD VERBATIM RESPONSES BELOW, THEN
SUPERVISORS CODE)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Crime/Drugs/Gangs------------------------------------------------8%
Education----------------------------------------------------------------6
Environmental Concerns--------------------------------------------9
Too much growth---------------------------------------------------14
Too many homeless/homeless causing problems---------22
Not enough services for the homeless---------------------------5
Lack of affordable housing---------------------------------------10
Lack of parking -----------------------------------------------------11
Not enough parks/problems with parks-----------------------1
Police aggressiveness-------------------------------------------------1
Terrorism----------------------------------------------------------------1
Traffic-------------------------------------------------------------------21
Roads being torn up--------------------------------------------------4
Other----------------------------------------------------------------------4
None----------------------------------------------------------------------3
Not Sure/Refused-----------------------------------------------------9
5. In general, would you say that the City of Santa Monica does an excellent, good, fair, or poor job of
addressing neighborhood concerns?
Excellent---------------------------------------------------------------10%
Good--------------------------------------------------------------------47
Fair----------------------------------------------------------------------24
Poor-----------------------------------------------------------------------9
DK/NA----------------------------------------9
(DON’T READ)
NEXT, I’D LIKE TO ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CITY’S COMMUNICATION WITH
RESIDENTS.
6. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the City’s efforts to communicate with Santa Monica residents
through newsletters, the Internet, and other means? (IF SATISFIED/DISSATISFIED ASK:) Would that be
very (satisfied/dissatisfied) or somewhat (satisfied/dissatisfied)?
Very satisfied --------------------------------------------------------35%
Somewhat satisfied ------------------------------------------------38
Somewhat dissatisfied --------------------------------------------13
Very dissatisfied -----------------------------------------------------8
DK/NA -----------------------------------------6
(DON’T READ)
7. What information sources do you use to find out about Santa Monica city news, information, and
programming? (DON’T READ LIST, RECORD FIRST THREE RESPONSES)
(DON’T READ)
Seascape newsletter-------------------------------------------------35%
Special postcard mailings-----------------------------------------14
Street banners----------------------------------------------------------2
The City’s web site--------------------------------------------------14
City Council Meetings (in person)--------------------------------4
City TV (cable channel 16)----------------------------------------18
Los Angeles Times newspaper----------------------------------18
Argonaut----------------------------------------------------------------1
Santa Monica Sun-----------------------------------------------------6
Santa Monica Mirror-----------------------------------------------14
Lookout (online newspaper)---------------------------------------5
City Hall on Call (24 hour telephone system)-----------------1
Santa Monica Bayweek----------------------------------------------2
Friends/family/neighbors-----------------------------------------8
None----------------------------------------------------------------------6
Other (Do not specify)---------------------------------------------17
DK/NA-------------------------------------------3
(DON’T READ)
8. Do you subscribe to the city’s Web Information Network, also known as WIN?
Yes-------------------------------------------------------------------------4%
No-----------------------------------------------------------------------95
DK/NA----------------------------------------1
(DON’T READ)
9. Thinking about the city overall, what do you feel the City of Santa Monica could do to improve its
services? (PROBE FOR CLARITY AND SPECIFICS – RECORD UP TO THREE SUGGESTIONS)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
(DON’T READ)
Get homeless out of the city--------------------------------------11%
Improve or expand services for the homeless-----------------5
Communicate better with residents----------------------------14
Have more parking---------------------------------------------------8
Stop growth-------------------------------------------------------------5
Improve traffic safety------------------------------------------------7
Reduce traffic congestion-------------------------------------------9
Improve pedestrian safety------------------------------------------3
Reduce crime/gangs/drugs----------------------------------------3
Repair streets and sidewalks---------------------------------------7
Improve parks----------------------------------------------------------2
More courteous employees-----------------------------------------1
Be more responsive-------------------------------------------------10
Lower taxes-------------------------------------------------------------2
Cut waste/administration------------------------------------------7
More buses/more public transportation------------------------2
More recycling---------------------------------------------------------3
Other----------------------------------------------------------------------2
None----------------------------------------------------------------------7
Not Sure/Refused---------------------------------------------------22
10. The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is located at Pico and Main, near City Hall. Have you attended an
event of any kind at the Civic Auditorium in the past year, or not?
Yes ------------------------------------------------------30%
(ASK Q.11)
No -------------------------------------------------70
(SKIP TO Q.13)
DK/NA -----------------0
(DON’T READ) (SKIP TO Q.13)
IF YES ON Q. 10 ASK: (N = 123)
11. How many times have you attended an event there in the past year?
Mean number of visits = 2.2 per year
Once---------------------------------------------------------------------39%
Twice-------------------------------------------------------------------25
3-4 times---------------------------------------------------------------25
5+ times------------------------------------------------------------------9
12. What type of event (or events) did you attend at the Civic Auditorium in the past year? Did you attend
(READ – MARK AS MANY AS APPLY):
(N = 123)
YES NO DK/NA
A performing arts event like the Santa Monica
Symphony-------------------------------------------------------------31%---------68%---------------1%
A festival or fair, like the Book Fair-----------------------------43------------56------------------1
A consumer show, like the Gem Show, an Antique show,
a dog or cat show, or the Modernism show----------------58------------41------------------1
Or some other kind of event?------------------------------------34------------63------------------3
13. Now, please tell me which one of the following types of events you would prefer to see MORE of at the
Civic Auditorium:
(READ-ROTATE – ACCEPT ONLY ONE RESPONSE)
[ ] Concerts----------------------------------------------------------------36%
[ ] Performing arts like dance or theater--------------------------25
[ ] Community meetings and events--------------------------------4
[ ] Consumer shows like the gem show, pet shows, or
antique shows--------------------------------------------------------11
[ ] Educational programs or lectures-------------------------------13
OTHER--------------------------------------------4
(DON'T READ)
NONE---------------------------------------------3
(DON'T READ)
DK/NA------------------------------------------4
(DON'T READ)
14. On a slightly different topic, as you may know, the city is going to be redeveloping the Civic Center,
which is the area between Colorado and Pico, and between 4 and Ocean Avenue. I want to read you a
th
short list of the different types of uses the city is considering for this area. After you hear each one, please
tell me if you feel that WOULD or would NOT be an important use of the civic center area. (IF
“WOULD” ASK): “Would that be a VERY important use, or a SOMEWHAT important use of the civic
center area?”
(ROTATE)
VERY S.W. NOT DK
IMP IMP IMP NA
[ ] a. Walking and bicycling paths---------------------------------------49%--------28%--------22%----------1%
[ ] b. Basketball and tennis courts----------------------------------------24-----------30-----------45-------------1
[ ] c. Baseball and soccer fields--------------------------------------------19-----------26-----------53-------------3
[ ] d. Park space for sitting and reading--------------------------------51-----------31-----------17-------------1
[ ] e. Park space for gatherings or festivals----------------------------42-----------38-----------19-------------1
[ ] f. Affordable housing----------------------------------------------------40%--------16%--------43%----------1%
[ ] g. Pre-school educational facilities-----------------------------------43-----------24-----------28-------------5
[ ] h. Hotels-----------------------------------------------------------------------5-----------15-----------79-------------1
[ ] i. Commercial office buildings------------------------------------------4-----------20-----------74-------------1
[ ] j. A botanical garden----------------------------------------------------42-----------36-----------21-------------1
15. Now, the city is considering a program to replace trees that are too large for parkways, or where the
root systems are damaging sidewalks. Such trees would be replaced in a phased way over a number
of years with trees that are more appropriate for the location. Does this program sound like
something you would favor, or oppose?(IF FAVOR/OPPOSE ASK) “Is that strongly (favor/oppose)
or somewhat?”
STR. S.W. S.W. STR. DK
FAV FAV OPP OPP NA
Trees removal-----------------------------------------------------------38%--------30%--------10%------14%------7%
16. Now let me share with you another policy related to trees that the city is considering. Under this
policy, if any privately owned tree in Santa Monica is removed in the course of developing a
residential or commercial property, the property owner would have three choices. They could
relocate the tree elsewhere on the property, they could replace the tree with new trees on the
property, or they could pay a fee that would be used to pay for public trees to be planted elsewhere in
the city.
Does this policy sound like something you would favor, or oppose? (IF FAVOR/OPPOSE ASK) “Is
that strongly (favor/oppose) or somewhat?”
STR. S.W. S.W. STR. DK
FAV FAV OPP OPP NA
Trees policy--------------------------------------------------------------34%--------29%---------8%------23%------7%
17. On a very different topic, Santa Monica’s main library will be closed for construction late next year. Of the
following six services, which three would you MOST like to see continued in a temporary facility? (READ
ALL SIX BEFORE RECORDING)
Combined
Choices
[ ] The fiction collection-----------------------------36%
[ ] The non-fiction collection----------------------55
[ ] Newspapers and magazines-------------------32
[ ] Children’s services-------------------------------64
[ ] Videos and CDs-----------------------------------18
[ ] Public internet access----------------------------44
(DON'T READ) Other----------------------------2
(DON'T READ) None-----------------------------4
(DON'T READ) DK/NA-------------------------6
18. Have you driven to the downtown area of Santa Monica in the past year?
Yes ------------------------------------------------------94%
(ASK Q.19)
No ---------------------------------------------------5
(SKIP TO Q.23)
DK/NA -----------------1
(DON’T READ) (SKIP TO Q.23)
IF YES ASK Q.18. IF NO, SKIP TO Q.23 (N = 387)
19. How often do you drive downtown? On a daily basis, at least once a week, at least a few times a month,
about once a month, or less often than that?
Daily--------------------------------------------------------------------33%
Once a week----------------------------------------------------------37
Few times/month---------------------------------------------------18
Once/month------------------------------------------------------------7
Less often----------------------------------------------------------------5
DK/NA------------------------------------------0
(DON'T READ)
20. Have you found the new directional signage useful in dealing with the construction, or did you not find it
useful? If you have not noticed the new signage, just say so.
(N = 387)
Useful-------------------------------------------------------------------39%
Not useful-------------------------------------------------------------25
Not noticed------------------------------------------------------------33
DK/NA------------------------------------------3
(DON'T READ)
21. From what you have seen when driving or visiting downtown, does it appear that there are more traffic
officers on duty, or have you not noticed that?
(N = 387)
Yes ------------------------------------------------------57%
(ASK Q.22)
No -------------------------------------------------36
(SKIP TO Q.23)
DK/NA -----------------7
(DON’T READ) (SKIP TO Q.23)
IF YES ON Q.21 ASK Q.22. OTHERWISE SKIP TO Q.23
22. Is it your sense that the presence of traffic officers has helped relieve congestion at the busiest downtown
intersections?
(N = 220)
Yes-----------------------------------------------------------------------67%
No-----------------------------------------------------------------------27
DK/NA-------------------------------------------6
(DON'T READ)
ASK EVERYONE
23. Now, in the past year did you visit Santa Monica’s City Hall for any reason?
Yes )------------------------------------------------------46%
(ASK Q.24
No -------------------------------------------------54
(SKIP TO Q.25)
DK/NA ---------------------0
(DON'T READ)(SKIP TO Q.25)
IF YES ON Q.23 ASK Q.24 (N = 187)
24. How many times would you say you visited Santa Monica’s City Hall in the past year?
Mean visits per year: 5.5. Median visits per year: 2.0
1 visit-------------------------------------------------------------------26%
2 visits------------------------------------------------------------------26
3-5 visits----------------------------------------------------------------27
6+ visits----------------------------------------------------------------20
25. In the past year, have you contacted a Santa Monica city government department or employee for any
reason?
Yes ------------------------------------------------------52%
(ASK Q.26)
No -------------------------------------------------48
(SKIP TO Q.31)
DK/NA -----------------0
(DON’T READ) (SKIP TO Q.31)
IF YES ON Q.25 ASK Q.26 OTHERWISE, SKIP TO Q.31 (N = 215)
26. Was that contact in person, over the phone, via email, or in some other way?
In person---------------------------------------------------------------35%
Phone-------------------------------------------------------------------55
Email----------------------------------------------------------------------6
All of the above--------------------------------------------------------4
(DON'T READ) DK/NA-------------------------------------------0
27. What was the specific nature of that interaction or interactions? RECORD VERBATIM RESPONSES
BELOW, THEN SUPERVISORS CODE) (TAKE FIRST MENTION ONLY)
(N = 215)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Getting permit or license------------------------------------------19%
Encounter with police------------------------------------------------9
Encounter with firefighters-----------------------------------------0
Friend/family works for government---------------------------2
Complaint about parking, traffic, or neighborhood-------15
Visiting recycling/hazardous waste center--------------------2
General complaints-------------------------------------------------16
Requested information---------------------------------------------17
Visiting a park----------------------------------------------------------0
Visiting a library-------------------------------------------------------0
Other:---------------------------------------------------------------------2
DK/NA___________________________2
(DON'T READ)
28. Based on your personal experience, would you say that the people you dealt with when contacting Santa
Monica city departments were very courteous, somewhat courteous, somewhat discourteous, or very
discourteous?
(N = 215)
VERY S.W. S.W. VERY DK/
COUR. COUR DISCOUR DISCOUR NA
Courteous/Discourteous---------------------------------53%---------37%-----------6%-----------4%-------1%
29. And would you say that the people you dealt with when contacting Santa Monica city departments were
very responsive to your needs, somewhat responsive, somewhat unresponsive, or very unresponsive?
(N
= 215)
VERY S.W. S.W. VERY DK/
RESP. RESP UNRESP UNRESP NA
Responsive---------------------------------------------------47%---------28%----------13%---------10%------2%
30. In general, have you been satisfied, or dissatisfied, with the services you received after contacting a Santa
Monica city government department? (IF SATISFIED/DISSATISFIED ASK): “Is that VERY or
SOMEWHAT (satisfied/dissatisfied)?”
(N = 215)
VERY S.W. S.W. VERY DK/
SAT SAT UNSAT UNSAT NA
Responsive---------------------------------------------------40%---------32%-----------8%----------14%------6%
ASK EVERYONE
31. Have you attended a city-sponsored meeting of any kind in the past year, including city council meetings,
a city commission, or a special-topic workshop?
Yes ------------------------------------------------------18%
(ASK Q.32)
No -------------------------------------------------82
(SKIP TO Q.33)
DK/NA -----------------0
(DON’T READ) (SKIP TO Q.33)
IF YES ON Q.31 ASK Q.32, OTHERWISE, SKIP TO Q.33 (N = 74)
32. How did you learn about the meeting? From a notice in the mail, from a notice you saw on-line, from a
flyer posted somewhere, from a notice in a newspaper, from a friend or relative, or was it something
regularly scheduled that you knew about?
Mail---------------------------------------------------------------------31%
On-line-------------------------------------------------------------------4
Flyer---------------------------------------------------------------------11
Notice in newspaper-------------------------------------------------7
Friend/relative-------------------------------------------------------19
Regularly scheduled------------------------------------------------19
OTHER-------------------------------------------9
(DON'T READ)
DK/NA-------------------------------------------1
(DON'T READ)
33. Over the past few years, the Santa Monica city government has taken extra steps to be prepared in the
event of an emergency. How confident are you in the city’s ability to respond appropriately to an
emergency? Very confident, somewhat confident, not that confident, or not confident at all?
VERY S.W. NOT THAT NOT DK
CON CON CON AT ALL NA
Emergency preparedness------------------------------24%--------46%--------12%----------7%---------12%
34. Do you volunteer for any organizations located within Santa Monica?
Yes---------------------------------------------------25%
No---------------------------------------------------74
DK/NA----------------------1
(DON'T READ)
35. Are you an active member of a Santa Monica neighborhood association?
Yes---------------------------------------------------12%
No---------------------------------------------------88
DK/NA--------------------0
(DON’T READ)
36. In the past year, have you ridden a Big Blue Bus, the bus line here in Santa Monica?
Yes---------------------------------------------------54%
No---------------------------------------------------46
DK/NA----------------------0
(DON'T READ)
37. In the past year, have you ridden the Tide Shuttle, which goes between downtown Santa Monica and the
Main Street area?
Yes---------------------------------------------------15%
No---------------------------------------------------85
DK/NA----------------------0
(DON'T READ)
NOW FOR A FEW BACKGROUND QUESTIONS.
38. What is your zip code?
90401 )---------------------------7%
(SKIP TO Q.42
90402 -------------------------12
(SKIP TO Q.42)
90403 -------------------------------29
(ASK Q.39)
90404 -------------------------18
(SKIP TO Q.40)
90405 -------------------------31
(SKIP TO Q.41)
Other ---------------------------1
(SKIP TO Q.42)
Not Sure -----------------------1
(SKIP TO Q.42)
ASK Q.39 IF ZIP 90403
39. Do you live east or west of 21 Street?
(N = 120)
st
East (Northeast)----------------------------------15%
West (Wilshire/Montana)--------------------83
DK/NA---------------------2
(DON’T READ)
ASK Q.40 IF ZIP 90404
40. Do you live north or south of Colorado Avenue?
(N = 76)
North (Mid-City)--------------------------------55%
South (Pico)---------------------------------------43
DK/NA---------------------2
(DON’T READ)
ASK Q.41 IF ZIP 90405
41. Do you live east or west of Lincoln Boulevard?
(N = 126)
East (Sunset Park)-------------------------------60%
West (Ocean Park)------------------------------40
DK/NA---------------------0
(DON’T READ)
ASK EVERYONE
42. How many individuals age 18 or older live in your household, including yourself?
One--------------------------------------------------41%
Two-------------------------------------------------44
Three------------------------------------------------10
Four---------------------------------------------------2
Five or more----------------------------------------0
DK/NA--------------------2
(DON’T READ)
43. How many individuals age 17 or younger live in your household?
One--------------------------------------------------12%
Two---------------------------------------------------7
Three--------------------------------------------------3
Four---------------------------------------------------0
Five or more----------------------------------------0
None------------------------------------------------76
DK/NA--------------------2
(DON’T READ)
44. Do you live in a single family home, an apartment, a condominium, or a townhouse?
Single family--------------------------------------27%
Apartment-----------------------------------------50
Condo----------------------------------------------13
Townhouse------------------------------------------8
OTHER-----------------------------------------------1
DK/NA--------------------1
(DON’T READ)
45. Do you own or rent your residence?
Own-------------------------------------------------42%
Rent-------------------------------------------------56
DK/NA--------------------1
(DON’T READ)
46. Do you work at a job, either part time or full time, that is located in Santa Monica?
Yes---------------------------------------------------33%
No---------------------------------------------------65
DK/NA----------------------1
(DON'T READ)
47. Is there anyone else in your household who works at a full time or part time job that is located in Santa
Monica?
Yes---------------------------------------------------20%
No---------------------------------------------------79
DK/NA----------------------2
(DON'T READ)
48. Most people think of themselves as belonging to a particular ethnic or racial group. What ethnic or racial
group are you a member of? () Are you white, Black or African-American,
ASK ONLY IF NECESSARY
Asian or Asian-American, Hispanic or Latino, of mixed race -- or are you of some other ethnic or racial
background?
White -----------------------------------------68%
(ASK Q.49)
Black/African-American -----------------3
(ASK Q.49)
Asian ------------------------------------------7
(ASK Q.49)
, Hispanic/Latino ----------------------8
(SKIP TO Q.50)
Native American ---------------------------0
(ASK Q.49)
Mixed Race ----------------------------------2
(ASK Q.49)
Other ------------------------------------------4
(ASK Q.49)
REFUSED/DK -7
(DON'T READ)(SKIP TO Q.50)
IF PUNCH 1,2,3,5,6,7 ON Q.48 ASK:
49. Do you also consider yourself to be Hispanic or Latino?
(N = 377)
Yes-----------------------------------------------------2%
No---------------------------------------------------94
DK/NA---------------------4
(DON’T READ)
ASK EVERYONE
50. What is your age, please?
(RECORD IT EXACTLY AND CIRCLE APPROPRIATE CATEGORY BELOW.)
(IF RESPONDENT DECLINES TO STATE AGE, WRITE "999" IN BLANKS ABOVE AND THEN ASK:)
Which of the following categories includes your age?
(READ LIST.)
18-24--------------------------------------------------4%
25-34------------------------------------------------17
35-44------------------------------------------------23
45-54------------------------------------------------26
55-64------------------------------------------------14
65-74--------------------------------------------------8
75 or older-------------------------------------------5
REFUSED--------------------3
(DON'T READ)
51. Finally, I don't need to know the exact amount, but please stop me when I read the that includes
category
the total income for your household before taxes in 2000.
$20,000 and under..............................8%
$20,001 - $40,000..............................15
$40,001 - $60,000..............................16
$60,001 - $80,000..............................10
$80,001 - $100,000............................10
$100,001 - $125,000............................7
$125,000 or more.............................15
REF..................19
(DON’T READ)
???????????????
My supervisor may be calling you to confirm that this interview took place. May I have your first name and
telephone number so she can call and ask for you?
Name Telephone #
That's all the questions I have. Thank you very much for participating in the survey.
CALCULATE AND RECORD INTERVIEW LENGTH. RECORD GENDER ON THE FIRST PAGE.
I AFFIRM THAT THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS ACCURATELY RECORDED FROM THE RESPONDENT'S
STATEMENTS.
Interviewer's Signature Date
English Language-------------------------------------------97%
Spanish Language---------------------------------------------3