AN ANALYSIS OF USER COST AND SERVICE TRADE-OFFS IN TRANSIT AND PARATRANSIT SERVICES

The Xenia Model Transit Service served as a test of several alternative transit services operated in a small city setting. This project was undertaken as an aid to the evaluation of transit and paratransit systems in Xenia, Ohio, and as a test of a new technique for assessing travel demand. The technique, direct utility assessment, was designed to test a new method for assessing user trade-offs in costs and service based on attitudinal methods. A tradeoff survey was administered as part of a home interview survey. Data from the tradeoff survey were used to develop separate equations for each sample respondent to explain and describe their tradeoffs over transit fare, travel time, walk distance, type of service, and headway. An aggregate equation was also developed, assuming that all respondents shared common tradeoffs. These equations were employed to retrospectively predict changes in transit system patronage (since 1974). Both sets of models performed well, producing forecasts that were in the same direction and range of experience, although magnitudes were somewhat different.

• Corporate Authors:

  Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated

  100 Cambridge Park Drive, Suite 400
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02140

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Louviere, J
  • KOCUR, G
• Publication Date: 1979-8

Media Info

• Pagination: 208 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Analysis; Costs; Data collection; Evaluation; Fares; Forecasting; Level of service; Mathematical models; Paratransit services; Public transit; Surveys; Transportation planning; Travel demand; Travel time; Urban transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Cost analysis; Services
• Geographic Terms: Ohio
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00318164
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/TSC-UM927-R9742 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-TSC-1405
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 16 1981 12:00AM