01371579

Component

Access to transit stations is a critical, but often overlooked, aspect of transit planning. Few agencies have a station access planning process or develop station access plans, yet realizing the benefits of infrastructure investment in fixed-guideway transit inherently depends on efficiently getting passengers to the station. Agency decisions explicitly affect the ability and likelihood for passengers to access the station by various access modes. For instance, the provision of auto parking allows users to drive and park at the station. However, if no parking is provided, riders must access the station another way. Many factors determine the number of passengers boarding a transit service at a given station. A primary consideration is the quality and efficiency of the service; that is, does it provide a timely and direct connection between one’s origin and destination. But ridership can vary widely even when comparing stations in the same transit system or on the same line. Characteristics of the station area and access provisions at the station also influence a traveler’s decision to board the service at a given station. Recent research conducted by the Transit Cooperative Research Program developed a guidebook for planning for access to public transport stations. The research included development of a typology of stations and presents improved methods for conducting station access planning. This paper discusses key findings, including development of a station ridership estimation model. It also produced a spreadsheet-based Access Planning Tool to assess demand, quantify the effects of access improvements, and measure the fiscal impacts.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AP025 Public Transportation Planning and Development

01362476

12-4443

English

22p

2012

Transportation Research Board 91st Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Access; Accessibility; Alternatives analysis; Passenger counting; Planning methods; Rail transit stations; Ridership; Station operations; Transit centers

Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Terminals and Facilities; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2012 Paper #12-4443

TRIS, TRB

Feb 8 2012 5:24PM