ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, June 9, 1996                   TAG: 9606100033
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: A-6  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER 

HOW THE POLL WAS CONDUCTED

The Center for Community Research at Roanoke College conducted the "smart" road public opinion telephone survey for The Roanoke Times between May 28 and June 2.

The center used a computer program from a survey sampling company to randomly generate telephone numbers of residences in Montgomery County. Businesses, people younger than 18 and Virginia Tech students who are not permanent residents of the county were excluded from the poll.

A total of 442 people participated in the survey, which has a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

The survey respondents were asked 17 questions directly related to the smart road or Alternative 3A, another road project in Montgomery County. The topics for the questions, and explanatory introductions, were suggested by The Roanoke Times and then refined to ensure balance by the Center for Community Research.

Most respondents had some knowledge about the smart road. When asked whether they were familiar with the road, 14 percent said they were very familiar and 52 percent said they were somewhat familiar.

Many of the people surveyed - 46 percent - had lived in Montgomery County for 21 years or more. Only about 3 percent of the respondents had lived in the area for less than a year.

The number of men and women in the survey was close, 53 percent females and 47 percent males. There often is a disproportionately higher number of women who participate in telephone surveys, said Harry Wilson, the center's director.

The ages of the respondents also were relatively evenly spread, though there were more 25-to 44-year-olds than any other age group.

The education and income levels of those surveyed were high. Sixty-eight percent had some college education, up to graduate degrees. Only 2 percent did not reveal information about their education level.

About 52 percent of the people who answered questions about income level earned $30,000 or more a year.

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