ANALYSIS OF USER RESPONSE TO THE 1975 NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT-FARE INCREASE (ABRIDGMENT)

This paper describes how before and after survey data were used to supplement aggregate ridership counts in describing the effects of a fare increase on patrons of the New York City transit system. While the overall rate-of-ridership decline may be sufficient for a financial analysis, the growing recognition of the role of transit in economic, social, and equity issues requires more in-depth understanding of the kinds of people who ride less or sacrifice mobility when transit-fare increases occur. Two surveys, one before the fare increase was announced and another 3 months after its implementation, allowed the analysis of a before and after pattern of transit use by a given sample of riders. (Except for those derived by inference, data on the effects of fare increases on the various groups of riders and the types of trips abandoned did not previously exist for the New York City transit system.) The author concludes that the 1975 transit-fare increase resulted in ridership reductions in roughly equal proportions from all major socioeconomic and demographic groups. The survey results support the theory of automobile availability as a major determinant in mode-choice decisions. The over representation of riders from double fare zones among the changers emphasizes the urgency of a comprehensive transfer policy to mitigate the effects of two fares on this group of riders.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1977/625/625-004.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=ANALYSIS+OF+USER+RESPONSE+TO+THE+1975+NEW+YORK+CITY+TRANSIT-FARE+INCREASE+(ABRIDGMENT)&author=F.+Obinani&publication_year=1977
• Availability:
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Public Transportation Planning and Development. 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:
  • Obinani, Felix C
• Conference:
  • 56th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1977-1-24 to 1977-1-28
• Publication Date: 1977

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 12-14
• Monograph Title: Transit planning and operations
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 625
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Before and after studies; Bus transportation; Data collection; Fares; Mode choice; Passengers; Rapid transit; Ridership; Socioeconomic factors; Surveys; Travel demand; Urban transportation
• Identifier Terms: New York City Transit Authority
• Geographic Terms: New York (New York)
• Old TRIS Terms: Modal selection; User characteristics
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Highways; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00168063
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309026504
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jan 30 1981 12:00AM