LINDENWOLD RAIL LINE AND NEW JERSEY TRANSIT BUSES: A COMPARISON

Rail and bus modes have frequently been compared using theoretical models of hypothetical cities. Because the results of such studies are easily influenced by the author's attitudes toward different modes, there is a need for comparisons of actual transit systems. Two transit systems, rail and bus, serve the New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia. The conditions under which they operate are generally the same, but the two systems differ greatly. The Lindenwold (PATCO) Line, a single 14.2-mi-long (22.8-km) radial rail rapid transit line with 13 stations, offers high-quality service, including high speed, comfort, reliability, and a strong image. New Jersey Transit (NJT) operates a 562-mi (904-km) network of 26 bus routes on streets, arterials, and freeways, but with low service frequency. Whereas the Lindenwold Line required a substantial investment NJT buses use existing facilities. The Lindenwold Line attracts 43% more passengers and has a 44% higher operating ratio in spite of its 20 to 30% lower fares. These findings show that concentrated transit service can be more capable of attracting commuters than flexible services that operate on an extensive but low-frequency network. This type of high-quality, intensive service (by rail or bus) also has a much greater potential to influence economic development than the low-investment, extensive bus networks typical for many suburban areas. The results of this study refute the statements that low-investment buses offering flexible services can better satisfy transportation needs in low-density suburban areas than rail systems with limited networks and that new rail transit is not economically justified in most automobile-oriented North American cities. Modern, economically designed rail systems require a considerably higher investment than buses, but they attract many more automobile drivers and other passengers, have superior operating economy, and exert a much stronger positive impact on the communities they serve.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1990/1266/1266-012.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=LINDENWOLD+RAIL+LINE+AND+NEW+JERSEY+TRANSIT+BUSES%3A+A+COMPARISON&author=V.+Vuchic&author=O.+Olanipekun&publication_year=1990
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1266, Urban Public Transportation Research 1990. 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:
  • Vuchic, Vukan R
  • Olanipekun, Olayinka A
• Publication Date: 1990

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 123-138
• Monograph Title: Urban public transportation research
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1266
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Bus transportation; Economic development; Impacts; Level of service; Operating ratios; Rapid transit; Ridership; Suburbs
• Identifier Terms: Lindenwold Line; New Jersey Transit
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Motor Carriers; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00602751
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309050189
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Dec 31 1990 12:00AM