EFFECTS OF DISSEMINATING SERVICE INFORMATION AND FREE COUPONS ON BUS RIDERSHIP

Although several studies of system-wide, free-fare experiments have suggested that such programs do not stimulate sustained ridership gains and actually result in revenue losses, the possibility remains that targeted, route-specific free-fare programs could stimulate ridership without significant disruption on individual routes. Studies of service information dissemination also suggest that this may be an effective means of stimulating ridership and revenues. In this paper, the effects on ridership of distributing (a) route-specific service information only and (b) information with free-ride coupons to residential areas bordering three high-ridership urban bus routes are described. In addition to one premeasure and two postmeasures of ridership on the routes, surveys of riders on the routes and of all coupon users were undertaken. The experimental design controlled externalities affecting ridership. Neither the information alone nor the coupons caused significant ridership gains. Most coupon users were existing high-frequency, transit-dependent riders. Few new riders were gained, and existing riders did not significantly increase their frequency of bus use. Survey findings also suggest that with direct-mail promotions, it is not sufficient to target areas bordering bus routes, as many current and potential riders may not live in these adjacent areas.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1987/1144/1144-005.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=EFFECTS+OF+DISSEMINATING+SERVICE+INFORMATION+AND+FREE+COUPONS+ON+BUS+RIDERSHIP&author=C.+Capo&author=D.+Messmer&publication_year=1987
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Public Transportation Marketing and Fare Policy. 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:
  • Capo, Carol K
  • Messmer, Donald J
• Publication Date: 1987

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 34-40
• Monograph Title: Transit management, marketing, and performance
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1144
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Before and after studies; Bus transit; Data collection; Free fares; Information dissemination; Measures of effectiveness; Promotion; Residential areas; Ridership; Surveys
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Old TRIS Terms: Bus transportation (Intracity)
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00476115
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 309046580
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 30 1988 12:00AM