2013 Session: 489

• Demand for Public Transport in Germany and the United States: Analysis of Rider Characteristics
  Abstract: This paper presents a detailed analysis of public transport demand in Germany and the USA, using uniquely comparable national travel surveys from 2001/2002 and 2008/2009 for both countries. Public transport has been far more successful in Germany than in the USA, with much greater growth in overall passenger volumes and trips per capita. Even controlling for differences between the countries in demographics, socio-economics, and land-use, logistic regressions show that Germans are five times as likely as Americans to use public transport. Moreover, public transport in Germany attracts a much broader cross-section of society and for a greater diversity of trip purposes. The success of German public transport is due to a coordinated package of mutually supportive policies that include: (1) more and better service, (2) attractive fares and convenient ticketing, (3) full multi-modal and regional integration, (4) high taxes and restrictions on car use, and (5) land-use policies that promote compact, mixed-use developments. It is the integrated package of complementary policies that explains why public transport in Germany can compete so well with the private car, even among affluent households. Conversely, it is the lack of complementary policies that explains the continuing struggle of public transport in the USA.
  Authors: Buehler, Ralph; Pucher, John
  Authors: Buehler, Ralph; Pucher, John
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Pedestrians and Bicyclists
  Session: 489
  Paper Number: 13-0530
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Does a Link Exist Between Public Transit Use and Active Commuting Behavior?
  Abstract: Recent literature on active commuting behavior shows an established relationship between public transportation use and physical activity, which is attributed to the fact that most public transit riders must walk or bicycle to access their stop. However, there is limited literature that examines the potential link between public transportation use and active commuting behavior in general. This study seeks to examine if public transit riders also tend to commute more by active modes for their non-transit trips. Data were obtained through an online survey in which respondents answered questions about their active commuting/public transportation patterns as well as demographic, psychosocial, community and environmental information. Statistical T-tests and logistic regression models were used to identify factors that were significantly related to active commuting behavior. The study finds that public transportation use is the most significant predictor of active commuting behavior. In addition, the study highlights key behavioral and psychological factors that also influence active commuting behavior. The results of this work can be used to design policies and programs that might help promote active commuting, leading to more livable and healthy cities.
  Authors: Gayah, Vikash V.; Bopp, Melissa
  Authors: Gayah, Vikash V.; Bopp, Melissa
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Pedestrians and Bicyclists
  Session: 489
  Paper Number: 13-0627
• How Does Restructuring from a CBD-Focused Transit System to a Decentralized Transit System Affect Transit Riders and Their Accessibility to Destinations? Case Study of StarMetro in Tallahassee, Florida
  Abstract: The relationship between a transit system’s design and the pattern of urban development affects the level and pattern of accessibility in a community. A mismatch between the two renders some destinations inaccessible to people who rely primarily on transit to serve their transportation needs. System design is critical to accessibility and hence to equity, but thus far the research literature has largely neglected this important issue. In this study, we examine the relationship between system design and accessibility through a study of the July 11, 2011 restructuring of StarMetro, the bus system in Tallahassee, Florida, with a particular focus on the change in riders’ accessibility provided by shifting from the pre-restructuring downtown-oriented radial network to the post-restructuring decentralized, multi-destination transit network. System restructuring increased the time it took for people to walk to bus stops but once they reached the stops the more direct travel connections provided by the new system reduced travel times and increased access to destinations. The net result of the service change was a reduction in total travel time, and thus increased accessibility, for most trip interchanges. The restructuring neither disproportionately harmed nor disproportionately benefited neighborhoods with larger numbers of transit-dependent, low income, or minority residents. The restructuring did not disproportionately benefit, nor did it disproportionately harm, neighborhoods with large numbers of college students either. StarMetro was a largely college student and transit-dependent dominated system before restructuring, as well as after, although there was a modest increase in use of the system by infrequent riders.
  Authors: Bhattacharya, Torsha; Brown, Jeffrey R.; Jaroszynski, Michal A.; Batuhan, Tuna
  Authors: Bhattacharya, Torsha; Brown, Jeffrey R.; Jaroszynski, Michal A.; Batuhan, Tuna
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Pedestrians and Bicyclists
  Session: 489
  Paper Number: 13-1052
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• High-Quality Public Transport and Promotion of Nonmotorized Transport: Compromise or Complement? Analytical Approach Assessing Conflicts
  Abstract: Public transport is a very efficient way to handle large traffic flows in urban areas. At the same time, and especially in Europe, non-motorized transport is being promoted as a further, environmental friendly and healthy way of urban mobility. This includes the introduction and extension of separate lanes to increase safety and convenience of bikers and pedestrians. However, most cities have limited space for expanding streets and roads which can lead to a conflict between the different uses. It is critical to clearly understand the impacts of these changes on public transport. In this research, a quick assessment model was developed that analyzes the impact of public transport service changes on operations and demand. It was developed for Zurich’s public transport operator Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ) to help them quickly assess changes such as the elimination of separate right-of-ways or the introduction of slow zones and also to help illustrate the impacts of these changes to non-technical audiences. The model uses a series of analytical calculations to analyze the main relationships between key public transport inputs and outputs. It was validated using data from Zurich’s tram and bus network. The case studies examine the influence of reducing separate right-of-ways, the expansion of 30 km/h zones and changes to stop distances on public transport operations.
  Authors: Naegeli, Lorenzo; Orth, Hermann W. M.; Weidmann, Ulrich Alois; Nash, Andrew
  Authors: Naegeli, Lorenzo; Orth, Hermann W. M.; Weidmann, Ulrich Alois; Nash, Andrew
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Pedestrians and Bicyclists
  Session: 489
  Paper Number: 13-2437
• Effects of Scale and Resolution in Assessing the Equity of Transit Supply Distribution
  Abstract: The equitable distribution of transit services is a major concern of transportation planners and policymakers worldwide. In the United States, planners are required by executive order to consider equity concerns when investing in new transportation infrastructure and services. However, equity can be difficult to assess in a consistent, objective, and quantitative way. Australian researchers recently developed a single, system wide measure which reflects the equity of transit service distribution in a metropolitan area. This measure, known as a Gini coefficient, specifically measures how well transit supply meets transit demand. Transit supply is measured using a modified form of an established supply index and demand is estimated using population and employment data. While the idea of using a single measure to assess the equity of a transit system is very appealing, researchers and practitioners must be very careful when implementing Gini coefficients for comparative purposes. This research investigates the effect of using different scales, levels of data resolution, and various demand measures when calculating Gini scores for interregional comparisons. Gini coefficients are calculated for six urban transit systems at two scales (metropolitan statistical area and transit service area) and two levels of resolution (census tract and block group) using two different demand measures (population and population plus employment). The results suggest that calculating Gini coefficients at different scales can lead to drastically different comparative results, while the different levels of resolution and demand measures had very little impact on interregional comparisons.
  Authors: Bertolaccini, Kelly Layne; Lownes, Nicholas E.
  Authors: Bertolaccini, Kelly Layne; Lownes, Nicholas E.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Pedestrians and Bicyclists
  Session: 489
  Paper Number: 13-5142
• Demand for Public Transport in Germany and the United States: Analysis of Rider Characteristics
  Authors: Buehler, Ralph
  Authors: Buehler, Ralph
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: AICP Certification Maintenance Session; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation
  Session: 489
  Paper Number: 13-0530
• Does a Link Exist Between Public Transit Use and Active Commuting Behavior?
  Authors: Gayah, Vikash
  Authors: Gayah, Vikash
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: AICP Certification Maintenance Session; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation
  Session: 489
  Paper Number: 13-0627
• High-Quality Public Transport and Promotion of Nonmotorized Transport: Compromise or Complement? Analytical Approach Assessing Conflicts
  Authors: Naegeli, Lorenzo
  Authors: Naegeli, Lorenzo
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: AICP Certification Maintenance Session; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation
  Session: 489
  Paper Number: 13-2437
• How Does Restructuring from a CBD-Focused Transit System to a Decentralized Transit System Affect Transit Riders and Their Accessibility to Destinations? Case Study of StarMetro in Tallahassee, Florida
  Authors: Bhattacharya, Torsha
  Authors: Bhattacharya, Torsha
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: AICP Certification Maintenance Session; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation
  Session: 489
  Paper Number: 13-1052
• Effects of Scale and Resolution in Assessing the Equity of Transit Supply Distribution
  Authors: Bertolaccini, Kelly
  Authors: Bertolaccini, Kelly
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: AICP Certification Maintenance Session; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation
  Session: 489
  Paper Number: 13-5142