Diminishing Returns to Density and Public Transit

Abstract

This article uses piecewise regression to explore diminishing returns to population density and identifies the density thresholds in the three most populous Canadian metropolitan areas beyond which any increase in population density is associated with declining marginal returns in transit mode split. An improved understanding of diminishing returns will enable planners and transit operators to focus on specific transit modes and service areas where increasing population densities are more likely to correlate with higher transit mode splits.