Coverage vs frequency: Is spatial coverage or temporal frequency more impactful on transit ridership?

Abstract

Transit ridership has long been studied, and the findings are elucidated by Taylor and Fink (2003) when they say, “to sum, transit ridership is largely, though not completely, a product of factors outside the control of transit managers.” Other than transit fare price, few studies have looked with much scrutiny at the factors that are within the purview of transit agencies. Transit service provision has been found to affect ridership, but “service provision” is often nebulously defined, shedding little light onto how transit managers can best provide service that will create returns in the form of transit ridership. This study examines the effects of spatial coverage and temporal frequency on transit ridership to determine just which lever is most effective. We use a cross-sectional study design with 152 regions around the United States. We employ structural equation modeling (SEM) to explain complex relationships that exist among interrelated variables. We find that both factors are strong predictors of transit ridership, with service frequency having a larger impact.