A PROMOTIONAL STUDY FOR PUBLIC BUS TRANSPORTATION TO IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE AND RIDERSHIP BY NON-CAPTIVE, MIDDLE-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS

This study involves an investigation of the information currently available and of the means and effects of supplying transportation information to middle-income households. The main objectives of the study were: (1) to determine the level of knowledge the public presently has about the city's transit systems; (2) to determine what effect a change in the level of knowledge would have on daily ridership; (3) to induce people to ride the city bus system through different promotional materials; and (4) to measure the effectiveness of the promotional materials used in the study. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, an urban region with approximately 125,000 inhabitants, was the study area. The purpose of the study was to determine how the limited resources of smaller cities and towns might be effectively applied to transit promotion. Pre- and post-treatment of transit related knowledge, combined with monitoring of patronage to and from the sampling area, were employed. General characteristics of two respondent groups as obtained from home interviews were presented. Among the conclusions are that the majority of trips from middle-income areas are made without regard to potentialities of existing transit systems and that informational levels regarding existing systems can be improved through relatively inexpensive promotional materials. References are furnished. The appendix contains the study questionnaire.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This report was sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration, Department of Transportation.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Iowa, Iowa City

  Institute of Urban and Regional Research
  Iowa City, IA  United States  52242
• Authors:
  • WILSON, E
  • Hultquist, J
  • Peterson, S
  • Kendall, K
• Publication Date: 1973-1

Media Info

• Pagination: 57 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Advertising; Bus transportation; Income; Information dissemination; Intercity bus lines; Knowledge; Ridership; Small cities
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Economics; Highways; Motor Carriers; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00097467
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Urban Mass Transportation Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTA-IA-11-002-73-1
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 13 1981 12:00AM