DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSIT SYSTEM PRODUCTIVITY MEASURES BASED ON SECTION 15 AND URBAN AREA ENVIRONMENT DATA

This study examines the relationships among measures of transit system productivity, the characteristics of transit systems, and the characteristics of the specific geographic areas where transit system services were provided. The data set consisted of the 34 transit systems in the southeastern federal region that operated exclusively in the bus mode during the 1979-80 financial year. FY 1979-80 was the second year of transit data collection and reporting as required under Section 15 of the Urban Mass Transportation Assistance Act (UMTA). These Section 15 data were used to measure transit system characteristics as well as the transit system productivity (measure of efficiency and effectiveness) within the southeastern region. This study was the first to utilize the Title VI reporting system (required under the actual transit coverage area characteristics from the remaining SMSA tracts not served by transit. Two different techniques were used to examine possible relationships among the data. The first technique employed the traditional statistical analysis of correlation and regression. The second technique, Automatic Interaction Detection (AID), did not surface in the literature review as having been used before in a similar research application. Because of this unique application of AID, this study examines its potential for identifying and explaining the structure of transit productivity. Study findings using AID showed that characteristics of the areas served by transit (e.g., car ownership and population density) were significant predictors of transit efficiency and effectiveness.

• Corporate Authors:

  Florida State University, Tallahassee

  600 W College Avenue
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32306

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  Office of Technical Assistance & Safety, 400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Dzurik, A A
  • Olsen, W T
• Publication Date: 1985-1

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 89 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus transportation; Data analysis; Data collection; Environment; Information, data, and knowledge; Mathematical analysis; Peer groups; Performance; Productivity; Statistical analysis; Systems analysis; Transportation; Urban areas
• Identifier Terms: Urban Mass Transportation Act
• Uncontrolled Terms: Characteristics; Environmental data; Performance indicators
• Old TRIS Terms: Transportation system analysis; Umta section 15
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Data and Information Technology; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00451082
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-UMTA-FL-11-0007 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: FL-11-0007
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 30 1985 12:00AM