SDDOT 2025 Statewide Customer Satisfaction Assessment
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Summary
This report presents the findings of the 2025 South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) Statewide Customer Satisfaction Assessment, the tenth in a series of surveys designed to track public and stakeholder attitudes toward transportation services. Conducted by the ETC Institute between September 2024 and May 2025, the study aimed to assess the quality of SDDOT’s service delivery, evaluate business practices with contractors, measure progress against strategic plans, and identify actionable improvements. The research sought to provide senior managers with a framework to respond to customer needs and prioritize short- and long-term transportation initiatives. The methodology employed a mixed-methods approach involving stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and statistically valid surveys. ETC Institute conducted interviews with 70 external stakeholders and 35 internal SDDOT managers, followed by 12 virtual focus groups with randomly selected residents and key customer groups. The primary data collection involved a stratified survey of 1,221 South Dakota residents, ensuring regional representation across Aberdeen, Mitchell, Pierre, and Rapid City, with a 95% confidence level and ±2.8% precision. Additionally, targeted surveys were administered to specific groups, including 379 seniors, 377 truckers/shippers, 310 farmers/ranchers, 90 emergency vehicle operators, 42 state legislators, and 106 contractors. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping and regional analysis were used to identify localized concerns and trends. The findings indicate high overall satisfaction with the state’s transportation system. Ninety-two percent of residents reported satisfaction with Interstate and divided highways, with the highest ratings given to guardrail condition (94%), safety (93%), and traffic flow (92%). Surface smoothness received the lowest satisfaction rating at 77%. Satisfaction with two-lane and undivided highways also remained strong. Respondents reported feeling safer driving on state highways compared to 2021, and SDDOT outperformed regional peers in service delivery. Contractors reported improved satisfaction with SDDOT’s business practices. However, external stakeholders identified funding as the primary challenge for the next decade. Emerging trends highlighted the growing importance of electric vehicle infrastructure and the impact of remote work on transportation needs. The report concludes that SDDOT continues to deliver high-value services and maintain excellent customer engagement. To sustain this performance, the authors recommend prioritizing surface smoothness on all highway types, emphasizing bridge condition maintenance, and addressing distracted driving concerns. Further actions include investing in pavement marking visibility, expanding communication through preferred channels, and continuing community engagement in project planning. The study also advises SDDOT to plan for emerging transportation needs driven by technological changes and lifestyle shifts, such as increased electric vehicle adoption and work-from-home patterns. These findings will inform SDDOT’s strategic planning and implementation efforts for the coming years.
Key finding
Overall satisfaction with South Dakota's transportation system continues to increase, with respondents reporting higher safety perceptions and positive ratings for work zone management, while identifying surface smoothness and bridge conditions as primary areas for improvement.
Methodology
mixed_methods
Sample size: 2555
Provenance
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 3 | 2026-06-10 |
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| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
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- Empirical Findings: self report data