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Schaller Consulting
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Enhancing Transit's Competitiveness: A Survey
Methodology
By Bruce Schaller
Principal, Schaller Consulting
The research reported in this paper was conducted while the author was Deputy
Director, Marketing Research and Analysis, New York City Transit.
Presented at Transportation Research Board Annual Meetings, Washington,
DC, January 1999.
Abstract
Attracting customers to the bus and subway is an often-discussed goal for
transit agencies. Current research methodologies such as travel demand, stated
preference and discrete choice models and opinion research are sometimes
poorly suited to determining which types of service improvements, facility
designs or fare policy initiatives will be most effective in attracting potential
customers. Drawing on elements of established methods, an approach is developed
for use by New York City Transit, focusing on travelers' actual experience
of the subway, bus, auto, taxi and car service and their reasons for mode
choice. Survey questions were developed based on focus group findings that
New Yorkers actively choose between competing modes based on six major factors,
from how long the trip will take to availability of parking. Travelers choose
the mode that presents the least difficulty for a particular type of trip.
Survey results show that the areas of subway service improvement with the
greatest potential ridership payoff are: reducing how long it takes to make
a trip; increasing the availability or ease of use of transit; and making
traveling on the subway a more comfortable and relaxing experience. Two external
factors--parking availability and taxi fares--are also found to significantly
impact subway ridership.
Full paper
