TRANSIT DEFICITS: PEAK AND OFF-PEAK COMPARISONS

This report presents estimates of the deficits incurred in providing transit trips during peak and off-peak periods on bus, subway, and commuter rail systems in the United States, both separately and averaged over all three of these transit modes. In this study, transit deficits are defined as the sum of annual operating and maintenance expenses and annualized capital costs minus passenger revenues. Cost and revenue allocation factors and related assumptions were used to estimate deficits by time period and mode based on actual data for transit systems providing bus, subway, and commuter rail service in the United States (which account for about 95 percent of all transit trips taken nationwide). In addition, a review of prior studies concerned with the issue for allocating operating and capital expenses by time of day was conducted. The results of the study indicate that peak transit trips, expressed on either a per-trip or per-passenger-mile basis, have consistently higher deficits when compared with trips taken in the off-peak. Based on the findings of previous allocation studies, the largest share of transit capital costs is attributable to peak-period service. And, although passenger revenues are proportionally very high in the peak, they are not of sufficient magnitude to result in lower deficits during this time period. For the nationwide analysis of transit deficits by mode, the peak is defined as a five-hour period from 7 to 9 am and from 4 to 7 pm.

• Corporate Authors:

  Charles River Associates, Incorporated

  200 Clarendon Street, John Hancock Tower
  Boston, MA  United States  02116

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Publication Date: 1989-4

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 37 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus transportation; Capital costs; Deficits; Off peak periods; Passenger miles; Peak periods; Railroad commuter service; Revenues; Subways
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Off-peak
• Subject Areas: Finance; Motor Carriers; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00485857
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Urban Mass Transportation Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: CRA 784.30C
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 31 1989 12:00AM