Motorists traveling in a number of surrounding counties, including Chatham, Harnett and Lee, may be stopped and asked to participate in a roadside travel survey.

The results will help update the region's travel forecasting model, which transportation officials use to develop long-range transportation plans and identify transportation priorities for the region. The surveys will conclude in mid-November.

Surveys will be conducted during daylight hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and sites will vary. Motorists are asked to slow down as they approach these areas and obey traffic control signs and personnel.

The survey is being administered by the Institute of Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) at N.C. State University in partnership with the N.C. Department of Transpor-tation, Triangle Transit Authority, Capital Area Metropolitan Plan-ning Organization and Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropoli-tan Planning Organization.

ITRE has contracted with the land planning firm Kimley-Horn and the ETC Institute to conduct the surveys.

"These roadside surveys allow citizens the opportunity to shape the transportation future of this region," said Mike Bruff, manager of NCDOT's Transportation Planning Branch that is overseeing the project. "By taking a couple of moments of their time, motorists are helping planning officials determine the type and location of needed transportation improvements. They are also helping to determine the priority order for these projects."

During the survey period, surveyors will randomly stop motorists at designated sites throughout the region and ask questions about their trip. Questions will cover the motorists' trip origin and destination, as well as their general purpose of travel. Surveyors will not record personal information.

Only a small percentage of motorists will be surveyed, and each survey will last only a couple of minutes.

In addition to these efforts, earlier this year about 5,000 households throughout this same 12-county region were asked to record their travel within a 24-hour period.

The information is also being used to update the Triangle's regional travel model.