GUIDELINES FOR ALLOCATING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION COSTS AMONG TOWNS IN NONURBANIZED AREAS

A crucial question affecting the long-term viability of public transportation program in nonurbanized areas concerns the allocation of deficit costs among towns receiving service. An evaluation is presented of alternative cost-allocation procedures that include one or more of the following variables: population, property valuation, passenger trips, passenger miles, vehicles miles, and vehicle hours. The procedures are evaluated based on several criteria, including simplicity, data requirements, cost of use, and equity (or perceived fairness) of the allocations. The evaluation brings into perspective the need to make trade-offs among these criteria. Sensitivity analysis is therefore conducted to determine the relative differences in allocations depending on (a) the procedure, (b) the data sampling method, and (c) the cost assignment policy. Population, ridership, and cost data on two public transportation programs in nonurbanized areas of Massachusetts are used to conduct the evaluation. One service, operated in Barnstable County, is offered on a prearranged demand-responsive basis. The other provides fixed-route, fixed-schedule service to nine towns in Franklin County. (Author)

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1981/817/817-008.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=GUIDELINES+FOR+ALLOCATING+PUBLIC+TRANSPORTATION+COSTS+AMONG+TOWNS+IN+NONURBANIZED+AREAS&author=J.+Collura&author=L.+Canner&author=D.+Cope&author=S.+Gordon&author=A.+Mobolurin&publication_year=1981
• Availability:
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Rural Public Transportation. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Collura, John
  • Canner, Lawrence
  • Cope, Dale
  • Gordon, Stephen
  • Mobolurin, Ayodele
• Conference:
  • 60th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1981-1-12 to 1981-1-16
• Publication Date: 1981

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 41-48
• Monograph Title: Rail transit and terminals
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 817
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cost allocation; Demand responsive transportation; Equity; Fixed routes; Guidelines; Passenger miles; Population; Property values; Public transit; Rural areas; Vehicle miles of travel
• Geographic Terms: Massachusetts
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00348011
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 030903258X
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Feb 27 1982 12:00AM