CaRDI and the Local Government Program participated in the Empire State Poll of 2004 by including questions relating to main street issues and community concerns.

The 2004 Empire State Poll (ESP 2004) is the second annual general survey of adults, age 18 and over, who are residents of New York State. The ESP 2004 is conducted by the ILR Survey Research Institute at Cornell University. The ESP is a combination of an annual core of workplace, community, governmental, economic, media measures, omnibus modules, special topical issue questions. The survey sample consists of a random selection of listed households in New York State.

The results shown below are raw, preliminary data which has not been adjusted or weighted to reflect differences between upstate/downstate or rural/urban.

The staff of CaRDI has been actively involved with various main street activities in the past year. CaRDI believes that the poll assists in identifying areas of importance to state citizens and perhaps to lend direction towards specific areas of need in main street revitalization activities.

The following three questions related directly to “main street”. Main Street (was) defined as the downtown or central business area or what would be considered to be the center of a community.

Thinking about main street of your community, how often do you visit the main street for shopping, errands, or entertainment/ leisure activities?

9.3 Never
27.0 Very Little
38.6 Often
25.1 All the time

Which would you say is the primary reason why you DO NOT visit your main street more often?

13.1 There is no local main street
30.9 Few goods or services available
14.8 General inconvenience
7.2 Limited hours of business operations
34.0 Other reason, please specify

Which would you say is the primary reason you visit your main street most often?

12.3 Restaurants or eating out
5.5 To shop for clothing
2.9 To shop for specialty (gift) items
6.6 Entertainment/cultural activities/special events
6.6 Personal services such as dentist, lawyer, insurance, doctor
58.2 For everyday needs and retail items
7.8 Other reason, please specify

The Local Government Program also contributed a series of questions which have some relevance to main streets and community vitality.

Every community has good points and bad points about living within it.
Considering a scale where 1 is NOT SATISFIED AT ALL, and ten is VERY SATISFIED,
rate your level of satisfaction with the following within your local community.

1-Not at all satisfied 2-9 10- Very Satisfied

Satisfaction w/ Economic Growth
12.9 1 Not at all Satisfied
8.3 2
11.0 3
11.4 4
16.4 5
10.1 6
13.4 7
9.7 8
3.3 9
3.5 10 Very Satisfied

Satisfaction w/ Land Development
9.8 1 Not at all Satisfied
8.9 2
10.0 3
10.5 4
23.9 5
8.9 6
11.4 7
9.3 8
3.6 9
3.6 10 Very Satisfied

Satisfaction w/ Culture
Cultural Opportunities or activities (i.e. music, art, crafts, theater, dance, antiques, etc

6.1 1 Not at all Satisfied
4.0 2
7.1 3
6.3 4
15.0 5
9.8 6
14.7 7
18.8 8
6.9 9
11.3 10 Very Satisfied

Community activists, elected officials, and practitioners in the main street revitalization field may choose to use these finding in addressing concerns within their own communities, and to direct their strategies and plans accordingly.

For more information, please contact:

Timothy A. Cullenen – AICP, CMSM
Extension Associate
CaRDI
#607.254.4688
tac26@cornell.edu