ODU to Conduct Second 'Life in Hampton Roads' Survey

Have an opinion about rising sea levels, light rail, traffic congestion, local and state government or gas prices? Then you might want to answer the phone if Old Dominion University calls.

For the second straight year, researchers from ODU's Social Science and Research Center (SSRC) will conduct a comprehensive telephone survey of 700 Hampton Roads residents to gauge perceptions and attitudes regarding a variety of local issues.

The 2011 "Life in Hampton Roads" survey, which includes a broad scope of questions about the media, arts, transportation, politics, education and overall quality of life, will be conducted from the end of May through July. Funded by the ODU Office of Research and the Office of Community Engagement, the random-sample survey is planned to be conducted on an annual basis to provide the community and ODU faculty access to data to assist in their own research.

"This survey gives us a pulse of residents in our area and provides a baseline of social indicators for the Hampton Roads region," said Tancy Vandecar-Burdin, associate director of the SSRC. "We are excited to see how these results compare to last year's data."

According to Vandecar-Burdin, this year's survey builds off the one conducted in 2010, but has been expanded in several key areas. Question topics range from cell phone usage and media consumption to transportation issues, including traffic congestion, public transportation, light rail and tolls. Respondents will also be asked for their perceptions of local and regional politics, education and the environment. ODU expects to publish the survey results this fall.