New Report Targets the Sacred Cows of Transit Planning

Ken Kinney reports on a new study from TransitCenter, titled "Who's on Board" [pdf]. The report identifies improvements for transit to increase ridership after surveying approximately 3,000 people in Raleigh, Denver, and new York. According to Kinney, "the report makes the expected suggestions for improving transit — increase frequency and speed — but also comes to some conclusions that question transportation industry dogma regarding who rides transit and why."

The dogma Kinney refers to is the distinction between "choice riders" and "captive riders." According to Kinney's explanation of TransitCenter;s position on this distinction, "dividing people this way can be used to justify poor quality transit or flashy upgrades that don’t actually improve reliability, assuming people who have cars must be won over by nice amenities, while people without cars will ride transit no matter what."

Instead of the traditional dichotomy, TransitCenter suggests separating transit riders into three groups: "occasional riders who take transit once in a while, commuters who use transit regularly, but only to get to and from work, and all-purpose riders who take transit to serve a variety of their needs."

The report includes results of the survey on questions about the matters of importance when it comes to transit. At the top of the list: frequency of service. At the bottom of the list: power outlets and WiFi.