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                        Report of Focus Group Discussions in Washington, New York, Miami, and Los Angeles


            
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                Research Logistics
Recruitment Process for Focus Groups

The Media Network designed recruiting screeners to make sure that participants in the focus groups fit the profile of respondents FHWA/NHTSA was seeking. We had two different group types in each city: Hispanic pedestrians and Hispanic bicyclists. Our goal was to have approximately eight to nine participants in each group. The Media Network worked with partners from its own proprietary database, community centers, and other local organizations (including local biking associations) to obtain names of people who fit the criteria to participate in these focus groups (Spanish-speaking Hispanic males and females, over the age of 18, who were regular walkers or bicycle riders). Our goal was to create diverse groups of respondents in each city. Potential participants were contacted by telephone and were screened to verify their eligibility. See the Appendix for the screeners used in this project.

Eligible participants were invited to participate in the groups, and were assured of the personal confidentiality and research-oriented purpose of the groups. These participants were not informed of the sponsor of this project. Confirmation letters with the time and location of the group were sent to all participants, as well as directions to the facilities where the groups were being held. Participants were called the night before the sessions to remind and encourage them to attend.



Profile of Respondents

Sixty-two (62) adults participated in these focus group sessions: twenty-eight (28) men and thirty-four (34) women. Out of these participants, thirty-five (35) participated in the pedestrian safety focus groups, and twenty-seven (27) participated in the bicycle safety focus groups. All of the participants were of Hispanic origin. Information on each of these participants is summarized in the tables below. There is one table for each of the eight focus groups.



Hispanic Pedestrians in Washington, DC:Respondent
			Name
			Country of
			Origin
			Age
			Gender
			Education
			IncomeLeonardo
			Colombia
			40-49
			M
			Graduate or Professional Degree
			More than $60,000Maria
			Brazil
			70-79
			F
			Some College
			Between $15,000 – $25,000Angela
			Colombia
			30-39
			F
			Graduate or Professional Degree
			Between $40,000 – $60,000Gabriela
			Venezuela
			30-39
			F
			Some College
			More than $60,000Ana
			Puerto Rico
			40-49
			F
			Graduate or Professional Degree
			Between $40,000 – $60,000Milton
			Guatemala
			18-29
			M
			Less than High School
			Between $15,000 – $25,000Alberto
			Nicaragua
			30-39
			M
			College Degree
			More than $60,000Liliana
			Colombia
			30-39
			F
			Graduate or Professional Degree
			Between $25,000 – $40,000Naomi
			Puerto Rico
			70-79
			F
			Some College
			Less than $15,000

Hispanic Pedestrians in Los Angeles, CA:Respondent
			Name
			Country of
			Origin
			Age
			Gender
			Education
			IncomeElisa
			Mexico
			18-29
			F
			High School Degree
			Between
			$25,000 – $40,000Ana
			Ecuador
			18-29
			F
			College Degree
			Between
			$40,000 – $60,000Sussie
			Mexico
			50-59
			F
			Some College
			Between
			$40,000 - $60,000Jose
			El Salvador
			40-49
			M
			High School Degree
			$15,000 – $25,000Miriam
			El Salvador
			40-49
			F
			High School Degree
			Less than $15,000Lauro
			Mexico
			60-69
			M
			Less than High School
			Less than $15,000Iris
			Guatemala
			18-29
			F
			Less than High School
			Between
			$15,000 – $25,000Martin
			Mexico
			30-39
			M
			High School Degree
			Between
			$15,000 – $25,000

Hispanic Pedestrians in Miami, FL:Respondent
			Name
			Country of
			Origin
			Age
			Gender
			Education
			IncomeMagali
			Cuba
			50-59
			F
			High School Degree
			Between
			$25,000 – $40,000Santiago
			Colombia
			60-69
			M
			Less than High School
			Less than $15,000Mariana
			Cuba
			18-29
			F
			College Degree
			Between
			$25,000 – $40,000Daisy
			Nicaragua
			50-59
			F
			High School Degree
			Less than $15,000Berta
			Cuba
			60-69
			F
			High School Degree
			Less than $15,000Raul
			Argentina
			50-59
			M
			High School Degree/GED
			Between
			$40,000 – $60,000Patricia
			Panama
			40-49
			F
			Some College
			Less than $15,000Jaime
			Nicaragua
			50-59
			M
			College Degree
			Less than $15,000

Hispanic Pedestrians in New York City, NY:Respondent
			Name
			Country of
			Origin
			Age
			Gender
			Education
			IncomeJuan
			Dominican Republic
			50-59
			M
			Graduate or Professional Degree
			More than $60,000Humberto
			Peru
			60-69
			M
			High School Degree
			Between
			$40,000 – $60,000Kimberly
			Puerto Rico
			18-29
			F
			Some College
			Between
			$40,000 – $60,000Evelyn
			USA
			40-49
			F
			High School Degree/GED
			Between
			$15,000 – $25,000Eddie
			Guatemala
			18-29
			M
			High School Degree
			Between
			$25,000 – $40,000Milagros
			Puerto Rico
			60-69
			F
			Less than High School
			Between
			$15,000 - $25,000Yesenia
			Puerto Rico
			30-39
			F
			High School Degree
			Between
			$40,000 - $60,000John
			Cuba
			40-49
			M
			High School Degree
			Between
			$25,000 - $40,000Roberto
			Argentina
			80 or older
			M
			College Degree
			Between
			$25,000 - $40,000Nilda
			Argentina
			70-79
			F
			Some College
			Between
			$15,000 - $25,000

Hispanic Bicyclists in Washington, DC:Respondent
			Name
			Country of
			Origin
			Age
			Gender
			Education
			IncomeGabriela
			Ecuador
			18-29
			F
			College Degree
			Between $25,000 - $40,000Raúl
			USA
			18-29
			M
			College Degree
			Between $25,000 - $40,000Francisco
			Argentina
			30-39
			M
			High School Degree
			Between
			$15,000 - $25,000Jorge
			Honduras
			30-39
			M
			College Degree
			Between
			$15,000 - $25,000César
			El Salvador
			50-59
			M
			Some College
			Less than $15,000Rosa
			Peru
			30-39
			F
			Graduate or Professional Degree
			Between
			$25,000 - $40,000Maritza
			Colombia
			40-49
			F
			College Degree
			Between
			$25,000 - $40,000

Hispanic Bicyclists in Los Angeles, CA:Respondent
			Name
			Country of
			Origin
			Age
			Gender
			Education
			IncomeFrancisco
			Ecuador
			30-39
			M
			Some College
			Between
			$40,000 – $60,000Elsa
			Puerto Rico
			50-59
			F
			Professional Degree
			More than $60,000Eduardo
			Mexico
			30-39
			M
			College Degree
			Between
			$15,000 – $25,000Ezequiel
			Mexico
			30-39
			M
			Less than High School
			Less than $15,000Angela
			Guatemala
			50-59
			F
			College Degree
			Between
			$40,000 – $60,000Brenda
			Puerto Rico
			40-49
			F
			College Degree
			Between
			$40,000 – $60,000

Hispanic Bicyclists in Miami, FL:Respondent
			Name
			Country of
			Origin
			Age
			Gender
			Education
			IncomeAlfredo
			Cuba
			60-69
			M
			College Degree
			Between $15,000 – $25,000Virginia
			Puerto Rico
			50-59
			F
			Less than High School
			Less than $15,000Will
			Dominican Republic
			30-39
			M
			Some College
			More than $60,000Monica
			Peru
			18-29
			F
			College Degree
			Between
			$25,000 – $40,000Israel
			Honduras
			Honduras
			M
			Less than High School
			Less than $15,000Neftali
			Puerto Rico
			30-39
			M
			High School Degree
			Less than $15,000Marta
			Cuba
			40-49
			F
			Less than High School
			Between
			$15,000 – $25,000Melinda
			Panama
			50-59
			F
			High School Degree
			Between
			$25,000 – $40,000

Hispanic Bicyclists in New York City, NY:Respondent
			Name
			Country of
			Origin
			Age
			Gender
			Education
			IncomeDavid
			Costa Rica
			40-49
			M
			High School Degree/GED
			Less than $15,000Marisol
			USA
			18-29
			F
			College Degree
			Between
			$25,000 – $40,000Magaly
			Puerto Rico
			30-39
			F
			Some College
			Between
			$25,000 – $40,000Julio
			Cuba
			40-49
			M
			Graduate or Professional Degree
			Less than $15,000Reyes
			Puerto Rico
			40-49
			F
			Some College
			Between
			$25,000 – $40,000Willie
			Peru
			40-49
			M
			High School Degree
			Between
			$40,000 – $60,000

Focus Group Methodology

The focus groups were held in March, April, and May 2004 in Silver Spring, MD (just outside Washington, DC), New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. Each group was led by a professional bilingual focus group moderator. The groups lasted about two hours and were conducted in Spanish. In each city, we conducted one group with bicyclists and one group with pedestrians. Each participant signed an agreement to acknowledge that the session was being recorded (audio only), and informing them that their personal information would be kept confidential. Participants were provided with a light dinner, as well as a cash stipend for their participation.

At the beginning of the discussion, participants were encouraged to share their ideas and were told that there were no wrong answers to the questions being asked. Participants were advised of "ground rules" for the discussion, which included the role of the moderator and what constitutes appropriate participant behavior. They were then reminded that they were being recorded.

To begin the discussion, participants introduced themselves to one another and to the moderator. They were then led through the research questions in the moderator's guide, which focused on issues such as general attitudes about bicycle and pedestrian safety, knowledge of U.S. traffic laws, sources of information about these laws and safety issues, and overall interest in this topic. Detailed findings from these groups follow in the next section of this report.
      
  Book traversal links for Research Logistics
      ‹ Executive Summary
                    Up
                    Detailed Findings From Pedestrian Focus Groups ›
                
                Book:Report of Focus Group Discussions in Washington, New York, Miami, and Los Angeles
              Executive Summary
                Research Logistics
                Detailed Findings From Pedestrian Focus Groups
                Detailed Findings From Bicyclist Focus Groups
                Appendix Moderator's Guide (English)
                Appendix Moderator's Guide (Spanish)
                Appendix Moderator's Guide (Bicycle Spanish)
                Appendix Screening Form (English)
                Appendix Screening Form (Spanish)
                Appendix Traffic Signs Handout for Group Discussion U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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