Out-of-vehicle experience

Background

Certain low cost strategies, such as real-time arrival and routing information, attractive waiting areas, universal fare media, marketing/perception influence, and other low-cost measures can cost-effectively increase ridership by improving the transit experience.

Introduction

The out-of-vehicle waiting experience plays a critical role in an individual’s willingness to use transit for their traveling needs. A pleasant walk to and wait at a transit stop can add value to the transit experience, while time spent in a dirty, loud or unsafe environment is perceived to be much more costly that time spent in-vehicle (source)

Strategies

       Real-time arrival and routing information
           Reduces anxiety about when the next bus will come
           Allows more accurate trip planning, so less time has to be spent at the actual stop
           “Enhancing the Rider Experience: The Impact of Real-Time Information On Transit Ridership” www.nctr.usf.edu/pdf/576-15.pdf
       Attractive and more secure waiting areas
           Studies suggest that time spent waiting for a transit vehicle is considered more costly by the patron than in-vehicle time; however, this can be mitigated by improvements to the waiting area, i.e. good lighting, protection from the elements and a comfortable place to sit.
           “Effects of Pedestrian Improvements on Transit Ridership and Customer Satisfaction” http://rns.trb.org/dproject.asp?n=27843
       Improvement to the quality of pedestrian network
           Virtually all transit riders are pedestrians at some point in their trip. So the quality of the pedestrian network -- principally sidewalks and safe road crossings -- strongly influences the ability of travelers to access transit stops and then their willingness to use transit. Factors include the very existence of sidewalks, their connectivity in a useful network, and whether or not residents feel safe using them.
           Pedestrian Environments and Transit Ridership www.nctr.usf.edu/jpt/pdf/JPT12-1Ryan.pdf
           “Pedestrian Infrastructure Improvements: Effects on Transit Use and Perceptions of the Pedestrian Environment In Portland’s Roseway Neighborhood“ http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:iz1tYaLid-0J:pdx.edu/sites/www.pdx.edu.cus/files/PR119.pdf+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
       Universal fare media
       Marketing