Impact of park-and-ride on public transit ridership

Abstract

We examine the relative impact of increased housing vs. increased parking availability on ridership of public transit. The approach sheds light on the trade-off in alternative land uses near transit stops: Park-and-ride (PnR) vs. transit-oriented development (TOD). In the example of one city studied here, econometric analysis suggests that PnR provides more transit ridership than housing. However, the transit agency may choose the alternative of reducing PnR and partnering with housing developers as a source of new non-fare revenue that creates vibrant, walkable growth in station areas, which is considered to be just as important as ridership.