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From page 55... ... 4. Selection of Strategies Introduction Identifying strategies, actions and initiatives that can cost-effectively increase an agency's ridership thus require the agency to identify and understand (1) Read the entire page →
From page 56... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-2 settings as well as downtown areas and other specialized settings. While transit is provided in a broad range of environments, the following categories can be used to further define many agencies' services: • Metropolitan – Service (often more than one mode) Read the entire page →
From page 57... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-3 in suburban areas. The crux of the suburban transit issue is summarized in TCRP Report 55 (Guidelines for Enhancing Suburban Mobility Using Public Transportation, 1999) Read the entire page →
From page 58... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-4 The authors note that each of these ". Read the entire page →
From page 59... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-5 o Subscription buses o Vanpools. Table 4-1 identifies which of these types of actions are appropriate for each of the six suburban categories. Read the entire page →
From page 60... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-6 • Provide different services in the urban, suburban and rural areas designed to meet each area's specific needs: The plan built on the existing bus and LRT network and existing transit hubs, adding innovative and more flexible services to enhance collection and distribution around an expanded group of hubs. • Establish transit hubs at key locations throughout the region: It was suggested that the hubs include well-lit and weather-protected waiting areas, as well as parking and improved user information. Read the entire page →
From page 61... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-7 Many agencies have also discovered the value of utilizing targeted marketing programs, and in fact, as mentioned earlier, FTA is sponsoring a series of "individualized marketing" demonstrations. Finally, with regard to disseminating information to riders, agencies are beginning to utilize a range of automated pretrip and real-time transit information applications to supplement traditional information strategies. Read the entire page →
From page 62... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-8 Table 4-2: Preliminary Cost-Effectiveness of Successful Service Concepts Estimated Cost per New Net Trip Initially Long Term Successful Service Concepts Capital Operating Total Capital Operating Total Feeder Services None to low Low to moderate Low Low Low to Moderate Low Service to Large Employers None to low Low to moderate Low to Moderate Low Low to Moderate Low to moderate Express Buses None to low Moderate Low to Moderate Low Moderate Moderate Reverse Commute Services None to low Low Low Low Low Low Vanpool Incentives Low to moderate Very low to low Low Low to moderate Very low Low Fare Incentives NA None to low Very low to low NA Very low to low Low Park-n-Ride Moderate to high Moderate Moderate to high Low Moderate Moderate Travel Training NA Low to moderate Low NA Low Low Route Restructuring None to low None to low Low Low Low Low Community Buses Moderate Low to moderate Moderate Moderate Low to moderate Moderate Special Events Low to moderate Low Low Low Low Low Commuter Rail Very high High to very high Very high Low to moderate High Moderate to high Light Rail High to very high High to very high High to very high Low to moderate Moderate to high Moderate to high Note: costs compared to average peak period bus service unit costs Source: TCRP Report 28, Transit Markets for the Future – The Challenge of Change, 1998 (p. 48 – Table 20) Read the entire page →
From page 63... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-9 Considering Tradeoffs Related to Competing Goals Evaluating ridership success is also complicated by the fact that transit agencies must deal with the reality of competing goals and constraints; in particular, every agency must inevitably make trade-offs between trying to increase ridership and needing to (1) increase – or at least maintain – operating revenue, and (2) Read the entire page →
From page 64... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-10 • Productivity (e.g., increased passengers per hour from the previous year) The most appropriate measure(s) Read the entire page →
From page 65... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-11 • Other sources, including newsletter/magazine articles – Several examples were selected from recent articles detailing agencies' efforts and results. For each of the examples selected, systemwide ridership impacts for the past four years, as well as population changes and productivity information, were provided. Read the entire page →
From page 66... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-12 of the agencies used partnership/coordination initiatives (36 agencies) and about 30% used marketing/promotional initiatives (30 agencies) Read the entire page →
From page 67... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-13 Table 4-3: Frequency of Use by Type of Project (All Areas) Category/Subcategory Type of Strategy Number of Projects Operating/Service Adjustments 81 Routing/coverage adjustments 43 Increased route coverage 23 Route restructuring 13 Improved schedule/route coordination 7 Scheduling/frequency adjustments 11 Increased service frequency 4 Increased span of service 4 Improved reliability/on-time performance 3 New types of service 13 Improved travel speed/reduced stops 9 Targeted services 4 Improved amenities 14 Passenger facility improvements 9 New/improved vehicles 3 Increased security 1 Increased safety 1 Partnerships/Coordination 49 Partnerships 35 University/school pass programs 24 Travel demand management strategies 12 Privately-subsidized activity center service 3 Coordination 11 Consistent regional (inter-agency) Read the entire page →
From page 68... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-14 Table 4-4: Large Urban Agencies with Highest Ridership Growth ('99 - ‘03) Read the entire page →
From page 69... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-15 Table 4-5: Medium Urban Agencies with Highest Ridership Growth ('99 - ‘03) Read the entire page →
From page 70... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-16 Table 4-6: Small Urban/Rural Agencies with Highest Ridership Growth ('99 - ‘03) Read the entire page →
From page 71... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-17 gains were not among the areas showing the highest population increases. Table 4-7: Large Urban Agencies with Highest Per Capita Ridership* Read the entire page →
From page 72... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-18 o Among the medium urban areas, operating/service adjustments were used by 14 of the 19 agencies with per capita ridership figures of 10 or higher. The other 3 types of strategies saw lower levels of usage: 9 agencies used partnership/coordination initiatives, 6 used Table 4-8: Medium Urban Agencies with Highest Per Capita Ridership* Read the entire page →
From page 73... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-19 • The relatively high per capita ridership figures at a number of agencies in both the small urban/rural and medium urban categories can be attributed, at least in part, to their presence in a particular service environment: 8 of the 10 highest levels among the small urban/rural agencies (see Table 4- Table 4-9: Small Urban/Rural Agencies with Highest Per Capita Riders) Read the entire page →
From page 74... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-20 • As can be seen in Tables 4-5 through 4-9, the agencies with the highest per capita ridership figures are not necessarily the agencies that have had the highest percentage ridership increases. o In the large urban group, only half of the agencies that experienced 20% or more ridership growth (1999-2003) Read the entire page →
From page 75... ... TCRP H-32: Interim Guidebook 4-21 A set of examples of innovative transit efforts from these countries was developed. The key types of strategies represented were: • Bus rapid transit and other premium bus services • Real-time traveler information systems • Smart card-based regional payment systems The success of such strategies has led US agencies to begin to adopt them in the past few years. Read the entire page →

From page 55...

... 4. Selection of Strategies Introduction Identifying strategies, actions and initiatives that can cost-effectively increase an agency's ridership thus require the agency to identify and understand (1)