The recently released annual survey of Bryan residents is helping city leaders plan for the future.

With 1,500 homes receiving the seven-page survey, more than 400 responded.

Since last year, the survey says the city has improved in almost all areas, but there are always places to improve.

Overall, Bryan residents are most pleased about their public safety services. Nearly 90 percent of respondents to the city's survey who said they had an opinion said they were satisfied with public safety services. More than 80 percent were happy with the libraries, and nearly 80 percent touted parks and recreation in the city.

On the low end: street maintenance. Of the categories given, the quality of the roads earned the city its lowest marks, just 42 percent satisfaction. Looking at a map of the city and how people responded, it's clear where most believe the work needs to be done.

Citizens who filled out the survey from the northside of town are dissatisfied with the roads in their part of town. Otherwise, Bryan residents who responded were neutral or satisfied.

Respondents also say it's not just the streets, but also the sidewalks. Only 37 percent said they were satisfied with the availability of them, and just 44 percent were OK with the condition existing sidewalks are in.

Bryan residents also want more trails to walk. While most were happy with the city's park trails, 43 percent said the city should emphasize creating new ones.

And citizens are also happy to walk through Downtown Bryan. More than three quarters of the respondents said they were satisfied with the maintenance and preservation of downtown.

Among the other notable items: 53 percent of residents who responded said they'd like to see more police visibility in neighborhoods. Also, 54 percent said they'd never contacted the city with a question, problem or complaint over the last year.

There were 10 major categories of city services surveyed, and all but one -- enforcement of city codes and ordinances -- received better or equal marks from survey respondents compared to last year's survey.

The 2007 survey was the city's first DirectionFinder survey, conducted by ETC Institute out of Kansas.

To read the report for yourself, check out the city's website, which we have a link to below. Scroll to "Hot Topics" on the homepage, and click on "2008 DirectionFinder Survey."