Click HERE to view the complete survey
As a public agency, the Monmouth County Park System serves not only those people who visit the County parks and attend the Park System programs, but all the residents of Monmouth County. One of the ways we find out how our customers think we are doing is by periodically conducting citizen surveys. A citizen survey administered by an objective third party provides a frank assessment from the very people the Park System is committed to serving. The most recent survey was administered in the winter of 2008/2009 by Leisure Vision/ETC Institute, a research firm that has done more than 600 such surveys in 46 states. 614 surveys were completed, resulting in a 95% level of confidence with a margin of error of +/-4%.
Key findings of the survey include the following:
- The Park System received the highest rating for customer satisfaction ever seen by its consultant. 45% described themselves as very satisfied with the overall value received compared to a national average of 24%.
- The Park System is the most used provider of indoor and outdoor parks and recreation activities in Monmouth County. More households (45%) use the Monmouth County Park System for indoor and outdoor parks and recreation activities than use any other public, non-profit or private recreation provider.
- 91% of respondent households visited a Monmouth County park in the last 12 months compared to a national average of 72%.
- 51% of respondent households rated the condition of the parks they visited as excellent compared to a national average of 30%. The consultant found this especially impressive given the high volume of use at the parks.
- The top three facilities visited by respondent households were paved trails (55%), unpaved trails (49%), and playgrounds (41%). 24% of respondent households visited a Monmouth County Park System golf course in the past 12 months.
- Over 90% of respondents favor the acquisition of open space. The high level of support for the County’s open space program was consistent across all genders, ages, household types, regions of the county, and lengths of residency.
- Preserving open space and the environment and protecting forested areas from development were the top two benefits of parks to households and the future of Monmouth County. Typically, improving physical health and fitness ranks as the number one benefit to households in similar surveys, suggesting that Monmouth County’s residents have a higher than average interest in resource preservation and protection.
- Operating and maintaining County parks and facilities was the single most important function performed by the Monmouth County Park System with 86% of respondents describing it as very important and 40% listing it as their first choice among a range of functions.
- Friends, family and neighbors are the primary source of information about Park System programs and activities (50%), followed by newspaper articles (46%) and brochures (33%). 26% of respondents use the Park System website for information compared to a national average of 14%.
So, it appears that the answer to the question, “How are we doing?” is “Pretty good.” Residents are using the parks, liking the experience, and telling their friends and family about it. They appreciate the quality of the parks and understand that a continued investment in the existing park infrastructure is necessary to maintain that quality. They are committed to resource preservation and support the County’s acquisition of open space for park purposes.
The challenge to the Park System is to keep doing what we’re doing well and to improve those things where we could be doing better. Don’t wait until the next survey to tell us how we’re doing - send an e-mail to
info@monmouthcountyparks.com or by calling 732-842-4000, Ext. 4256.