Residents Rate Quality of Life, Priorities, in Rivco Survey
Most Riverside County residents rate their quality of life as excellent or good but many view the economy and traffic as major concerns, according to results of a survey released yesterday by UCR. The survey was unveiled Wednesday in separate news conferences in Riverside and here in the Fourth District at the UCR campus.
The Riverside County Survey was conducted to gauge resident's opinions about their community and identify issues and priorities that could provide insight for local policymakers as they develop strategies and plans for the future. Not surprisingly, residents listed the economy and jobs as the single most important issues facing Riverside County today. Almost half of the 750 respondents gave the county's economy a lukewarm rating of "fair" and more than one-quarter said it was "poor." Over 70 percent thought their personal financial situations had worsened or had not changed from a year ago.
The current housing market might be influencing pessimism about the economy. Forty-four percent of respondents have a friend or relative who has recently lost a home.
"This snapshot of public opinion is an important tool that gives regional policymakers a glimpse into the perceptions of the people they serve," said Roy Wilson, chairman of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. The survey results are available here -> Survey.
Transportation and traffic also were among the top concerns. Almost 70 percent of the western county residents perceive traffic congestion as a major problem while less than 39 percent of eastern county residents perceived it as a problem. Traffic congestion and the fuel prices might help explain why a majority of the respondents would be willing to live in a small home and commute a short distance rather than live in a large home with a longer commute.
A random sample of Riverside County residents was asked 56 questions by researchers from UCR's Survey Research Center during April and May. The survey was sponsored by UCR's Edward J. Blakely Center for Sustainable Suburban Development in coordination with the Riverside County Center for Demographic Research, a partnership of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, the County of Riverside Department of Transportation and Land Management Agency, the Western Riverside Council of Governments and UCR.
For more information, contact Bill Gayk in the Riverside County Transportation and Land Management Agency at 951.955.3348 or bgayk@rctlma.org.