RURAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION DEMAND: CHARACTERISTICS AND ESTIMATION METHODOLOGY. FINAL REPORT

The purpose of this study was to assess and characterize the demand for rural public transportation service (RPT) in Texas; to develop practical procedures for demand analysis at the service area level; and to identify useful demand parameters of existing Texas systems. This report documents and characterizes the demand for RPT service in Texas. Determinants for this demand were analyzed using a database on existing Section 18 systems in Texas that were developed from 3 sources: Census Data, Section 18 contractors' quarterly forms, and a mail-phone survey of these contractors/operators. The database contains time series profiles of existing systems that reveal the sustained evolution and growth in the demand for these services over time. Ridership across existing systems was analyzed and indicated that elderly passengers were the largest fraction of trips (50 percent) served by these systems. Procedures for demand estimation are presented capturing the dependence of this demand on system supply and service availability, in addition to the usual sociodemographic variables. Alternate procedures are also developed to estimate potential demand, in the absence of supply information, and applied to calculate estimates for all counties in Texas. Other useful parameters of RPT demand are also presented, namely--specialized market segments and elasticities with respect to service levels. Information and procedures presented in this report will be useful to planners and decision-makers involved in the assessment, evaluation, and administration of existing or requested Section 18 programs in the State.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Texas, Austin

  Center for Transportation Research, 3208 Red River Street
  Austin, TX  United States  78705

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • McIntyre, R J
• Publication Date: 1986-3

Media Info

• Pagination: 104 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Demand responsive transportation; Level of service; Mathematical models; Public transit; Rural areas; Time series analysis
• Uncontrolled Terms: Models; Parameters
• Geographic Terms: Texas
• Old TRIS Terms: Umta section 8
• Subject Areas: Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00471397
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Urban Mass Transportation Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTA-TX-08-8011-86-1, Study 3-10-85-1080
• Contract Numbers: UMTA-TX-08-8011
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 31 1987 12:00AM