Current Practices and Potential Rider Benefits of Fare Capping Policies in the U.S.A.
This paper won the Transportation Research Board’s 2023 William W. Millar Paper Award for the best paper in the area of public transportation.
Fare capping, a policy in which a transit agency caps the maximum amount a rider pays over a given period, has emerged as a relatively new innovation in public transit fare policy. This research aims to synthesize fare capping policies and to explore the benefits that riders could receive from fare capping… read the rest of the journal article here.
Shared E-Scooter Service Providers with Large Fleet Size Have a Competitive Advantage: Findings from E-Scooter Demand and Supply Analysis of Nashville, Tennessee
Shared e-scooter systems are one of the fastest-growing micromobility modes in the United States. In response to service providers’ rapid deployment of e-scooter vehicles, several city governments have regulated shared e-scooters through permits and pilot programs, including the number of service providers, their fleet size, and provisions for expanding/downsizing the fleet size. However, the literature lacks an empirical analysis of the demand elasticity of shared e-scooters… read the rest of the journal article here.
Investigating the Ridership Impact of New LRT and Arterial BRT Lines in the Twin Cities
Cities in the United States and across the world are investing in high-capacity modes with enhanced reliability, including light-rail transit (LRT) and arterial bus rapid transit (BRT), to regain ridership. However, the impact of replacing high-frequency bus service with these modes is not well understood. This paper investigates the ridership effect of implementing LRT and arterial BRT on corridors that were already well served by local bus routes… read the rest of the journal article here.
Why has public transit ridership declined in the United States?
Between 2012 and 2018, bus ridership in the United States declined 15% and rail ridership declined 3%. These losses are widespread and in contrast to trends in other countries. Using data from 215 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we identify the factors responsible for this decline and quantify the contribution of each… read the rest of the journal article here.
Complement or compete? The effects of shared electric scooters on bus ridership
The rapid onset of shared electric scooters (e-scooters) has raised questions about their effects on other transportation modes, particularly sustainable modes such as transit. Existing literature concerning the impacts of e-scooters on transit ridership showed that e-scooters could both compete or complement transit. However, prior studies did not differentiate by e-scooter trip purpose… read the rest of the journal article here.
Walk-to-transit demand estimation methods applied at the parcel level to improve pedestrian infrastructure investment
Public transportation is a critical component of cities’ transportation system that can be supported by a safe, complete, and connected pedestrian infrastructure. Agencies spend millions of dollars each year to improve transit ridership, yet many of the transit destinations do not have adequate pedestrian infrastructure to connect transit stops creating a substantial barrier to… read the rest of the journal article here.
Investigating the Preferences of Local Residents Toward a Proposed Bus Network Redesign in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Many transit agencies are considering or implementing bus network redesigns. Considering this growing trend, this study investigates the preferences of local residents for a proposed bus network redesign in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The study uses survey data collected by the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority and its partners as part of a bus network redesign planning process… read the rest of the journal article here.
Why is Traffic Congestion Getting Worse? A Decomposition of the Contributors to Growing Congestion in San Francisco and Determining the Role of TNCs
Traffic congestion has worsened noticeably in San Francisco and other major cities over the past few years. This change could reasonably be explained by strong economic growth or other standard factors such as road and transit network changes. However, the worsening congestion also corresponds to the emergence of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft… read the rest of the journal article here.
Transit Agency Assessment of their Capability to Adopt New Mobility Strategies
Transit is at a pivotal moment. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, transit ridership had been declining across the United States for several years. Although it decimated ridership, the pandemic also emphasized the essential role of transit and transit riders, underscoring the need for equity considerations. Simultaneously, advances in transit innovations ranging from new types of vehicles to fare policy changes to new public-private partnerships have the potential to fundamentally alter the types and delivery of transit services… read the rest of the report here.
Publications Under Review
Will transit recover? A retrospective study of nationwide ridership in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic
Shared E-Scooter Service Providers with Large Fleet Size Have a Competitive Advantage: Findings from E-Scooter Demand and Supply Analysis of Nashville, Tennessee. Available at SSRN here.
Demographic Breakdown of Transit Rider Satisfaction
A Comparison of Time Series Methods for COVID-era Transit Ridership in the United States
A Multiple Mediation Analysis to Untangle the Impacts of COVID-19 on Nationwide Bus Ridership in the United States
Understanding Willing to Pay and Factors Influencing the Adoption of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) Platforms: A Study of WeGo Transit Users.
The app or cap? Which fare innovation affects bus ridership
Transit Ridership during COVID-19: An Exploratory Analysis of Nationwide Trends