Investigating Effect of Advanced Traveler Information on Commuter Tendency to Use Transit

Abstract

A study of the effects of advanced transit information on commuter propensity to use transit is described. A computer-aided telephone interview was designed and conducted in Sacramento and San Jose, California. The most important information items that nontransit users seek about the transit services available to them is investigated. Using a customized stated preference choice sets, the likelihood that the commuters will use transit is explored. Commuter perceptions of transit and transit user satisfaction with the information currently available to them are studied. The results indicated that about 38 percent of the respondents who currently do not use transit might consider transit if the appropriate information is available. Analyses using the stated-preference technique and targeting this group of respondents indicated a promising effect of transit information systems in encouraging transit ridership if the desired information is provided. Using binary logit and ordered pro-bit modeling produced results that show the significant effect of several commute and socioeconomic characteristics (such as travel time, car-pooling, and age) on the propensity of using transit.