Saturday, September 5, 2009

Does age of the respondents determine survey answers?


Results of the Citizen Participation Questionnaire were very helpful in identifying what Franklin residents believe to be the Town’s biggest recreation and open space needs. When asked what recreation and open space facilities the Town needed most, Bike Trails, Conservation Areas, and Hiking Trails were the three most popular responses. The survey data shows there appears to be a desire for additional passive recreation facilities. Franklin residents’ desire for improvement and expansion of passive recreation activities and facilities is consistent with regional and national trends.

Analysis of survey data show that a respondent’s opinion of which facilities the Town needs may be directly related to the age of individuals in their households. For example, of the respondents that claim to have children in their household, 35.9% chose Youth Center as one of the Town’s more important facilities needed, compared to only 15.0 percent of households with individuals 60 years and over, and 28.2 percent of all respondents. Likewise 52.2 percent of respondents with children in their household chose Bike Trails as a needed facility, compared to 22.5 percent of households with individuals 60 years and over, and 41.9 percent of all respondents. The most popular response from respondents with individuals 60 years and over in their households was conservation areas, with hiking trails and dog park coming in close behind.
Each one of us has a point of view. It is good to acknowledge and respect that. It is also good to then find some common ground within those points of view. The common ground can bring diverse sections together to build a community effort.

Read more about the survey and the resulting Open Space and Recreation Plan on the Town web site here (PDF).


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