Forty-eight hours after sending out an e-mail with the request to "Help Build UMBC's College Towns," officials at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, had received more than 1,200 responses.

It was just the sort of eager response for which local business leaders were hoping.

The university sent the e-mail Feb. 23 to its approximately 15,000 students, faculty and staff members. It linked to a 17-question survey created by the university, the Arbutus Business and Professional Association and the Greater Catonsville Chamber of Commerce on what kinds of businesses the recipients would like to see open in the two towns.

Survey questions were submitted to Lisa Akchin, an assistant to university President Freeman Hrabowski and the university's lead on the survey initiative, by the ABPA and the GCCC.

Respondents were asked if they were familiar with the two towns; how often they used university or public transportation; how often they have a car on the campus; how they use their university Red Card, which lets outside businesses accept payment from the campus-based debit card; how often they leave the campus for shopping, eating and entertainment and what types of businesses they would like to see come to areas.

The survey is the latest effort by UMBC and the business groups in the two areas that surround it to tap into the university community. In addition to bolstering the areas' economy, the results could also increase the university's own attractiveness, school and group leaders said.

"We hope the research will be a great starting point for conversation about development that is healthy for Arbutus and Catonsville and helpful in advancing the environment of our campus as well," Akchin said.

According to Terry Nolan, president of the ABPA and one of the initial proponents of the project, business group members hope the survey will lead to a healthy influx of businesses to Arbutus.

"We're not a moribund neighborhood in any way. Businesses come and businesses go," Nolan said. "But I think if we could target businesses that would be successful, that'd be great."

The survey responses will be compiled in about a month, after the university has sent follow-up reminders in hopes of getting more responses, Akchin said.

Once that occurs, the ABPA and GCCC will begin courting businesses that university members are looking for, Nolan said.

President George Brookhart, Executive Director Teal Cary and Economic Development Committee Chair Ellen Hemmerly of the Catonsville chamber did not return calls for comment.

The initiative comes as more university community members are taking advantage of the university transit system's bus routes to Arbutus and Catonsville than ever before, said Joseph Regier, executive director of the university's division of student affairs and director of the school's transit system.

Comparing mid-year ridership numbers for fiscal year 2009 with the same numbers for fiscal year 2008, the entire transit system's ridership has increased by 30 percent, and ridership on the routes that go through Arbutus and Catonsville have increased by even larger numbers, Regier said.

Ridership on the system's Arbutus/Irvington route, which includes service to Westland Boulevard, Maiden Choice Lane, Frederick Road and Yale, Beechfield and Leeds avenues, increased by 42 percent.

The system's Catonsville route, which includes service to Rolling Road, Bloomsbury Avenue, Frederick Road, Harlem Lane, Ingleside Avenue and the Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville campus saw ridership increase by 87 percent.

The system's Halethorpe route, which includes service to East Drive, Sulphur Spring Road, Potomac Avenue, the Halethorpe MARC station and Selford Road saw ridership increase by 58 percent.

Regier said the university's transit Web site will soon include video tours of Arbutus and Catonsville to increase interest in the two neighborhoods among riders.

Nolan said the survey represents the first step in a long process of feedback-based development.

"That's kind of my thought process -- to be proactive," he said.

"But the first thing we need are some extrinsic facts."

The survey can be found at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey.zgi?p=WEB228THTMJ9VW.

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