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Influences on transit ridership and transit accessibility in US urban areas

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  • Merlin, Louis A.
  • Singer, Matan
  • Levine, Jonathan

Abstract

The success of transit systems, traditionally gauged through ridership metrics, must also be assessed via transit accessibility because accessibility to destinations indicates the quality of service that transit provides. Using a structural equation modeling approach, we explain transit accessibility and transit ridership in 2017 for 50 large urbanized areas in the United States as dual outcomes dependent upon population size, urban form, and transit service provision. Also, we examine transit accessibility as a factor that influences transit ridership. We find that transit service provision strongly influences both transit ridership per capita and job accessibility provided by transit. Further, we find that transit accessibility, in turn, offers a moderate boost to transit ridership. Population density results in higher transit accessibility directly by making destinations easier to reach and indirectly by increasing the amount of transit services provided. Other built environment and transit service variables were examined but did not improve the models’ explanatory power. Disaggregating the effects of fixed-guideway (i.e., rail) and non-fixed guideway transit (i.e., buses in mixed traffic), we find that fixed-guideway transit has a more substantial effect on transit accessibility, while non-fixed guideway transit has a larger effect on transit ridership per vehicle mile.

Suggested Citation

  • Merlin, Louis A. & Singer, Matan & Levine, Jonathan, 2021. "Influences on transit ridership and transit accessibility in US urban areas," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 63-73.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:150:y:2021:i:c:p:63-73
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2021.04.014
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    2. Du, Qiang & Zhou, Yuqing & Huang, Youdan & Wang, Yalei & Bai, Libiao, 2022. "Spatiotemporal exploration of the non-linear impacts of accessibility on metro ridership," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    3. Wang, Jing & Wan, Feng & Dong, Chunjiao & Yin, Chaoying & Chen, Xiaoyu, 2023. "Spatiotemporal effects of built environment factors on varying rail transit station ridership patterns," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    4. Yang, Chao & Yu, Chengcheng & Dong, Wentao & Yuan, Quan, 2023. "Substitutes or complements? Examining effects of urban rail transit on bus ridership using longitudinal city-level data," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    5. Yu, Lijie & Cui, Mengying, 2023. "How subway network affects transit accessibility and equity: A case study of Xi'an metropolitan area," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).

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