BROOKLYN, NY

For safety sake, we recommend that you do not perform any part of the windshield survey alone. Try not to take more than 2 people. Two or three people walking together are a normal group, but five or six is a crowd, and stands out. Plan to perform the windshield survey during daylight hours only.
If you want to experience the community, take part in everyday activities. Take public transportation, eat in a local restaurant, buy something in a drugstore or supermarket or discount store. This will give you a chance to listen to people’s conversations and to get a sense of how they interact.
Go inside public buildings and cultural institutions
If you have the time, combine the windshield and walking survey techniques over several trips in order to get a feel for the daily variations – try to alternate the time of day, if possible.
As always, please consider your safety in completing the survey. Chose a different day to go if there are poor driving conditions, and do not go into areas that feel unsafe.

You will note that the survey asks you to talk to residents: please do not leave this step out! The people in the community know more about it than you can learn from walking/driving through. Be sensible about whom you talk with and what is going on around you, and be respectful. You may find varying perspectives from different members of the community – this adds to the depth of your findings.
Common sources of data to supplement the windshield survey include: US Census data, Chamber of Commerce, community libraries, social service agencies, RTD, US Department of Labor, your state Department of Public Health and Department of Education, police and fire departments, local public health agencies, local stores.
You must address each required subsection of the survey, but the questions that are included on the worksheet are to be used as a guideline only. You might want to include additional information to address your specific location