THE EFFECT OF AN INTERCITY PUBLIC TRANSPORT NETWORK ON BUS PATRONAGE

The influence of a regional bus service network structure is measured and expressed by the level-of-service variable, on bus ridership. Bus ridership on a regional level is found to be inelastic with regard to bus network structure, but it is elastic on certain corridors when analyzed on a city-pair basis. Bus patronage is more elastic with regard to service improvement for social-recreation trips than for work trips. Higher elasticities and a relatively greater number of generated bus trips are found in city-pair corridors characterized by average values of service levels. Thus, bus patronage elasticity changes asymptotically with the change in the level-of-service. Given the probabilistic nature of mode choice, recommendations concerning planning policy are subject to some degree of risk. Therefore, results indicating that a specific corridor is one in which the addition of a bus per day is likely to be justifiable do not ensure success in reality, but they do imply a relatively high probability of success when the corridor service is varied. The data used represent average daily flow of both bus and auto trips. The bus daily flow is based on a weekly sample, and therefore, it is possible that an increase in the level-of-service on a recommended corridor may be defensible only on certain days of the week. This possibility is more realistically investigated by experimenting with the recommended corridor than by a purely theoretical investigation.

• Availability:
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• Authors:
  • Stern, E
  • Adams, R B
• Publication Date: 1980

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 109-127
• Serial:
  • LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORTATION REVIEW
  • Volume: 16
  • Issue Number: 2

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus transportation; City pairs; Elasticity (Mechanics); Improvements; Intercity bus lines; Level of service; Mode choice; Public transit; Recreation; Ridership; Transportation corridors
• Old TRIS Terms: Modal selection
• Subject Areas: Highways; Motor Carriers; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; Terminals and Facilities; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00324322
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 15 1981 12:00AM