Transitcenter summarizes a paper originally presented at this year’s TRB. It is worth a read it its entirety, but certain excerpts are below the fold.
With a stop’s countdown sign showing a 20-minute wait (Scenario 1), people were less likely to ride Muni as their income increased—a 29-percentage-point decline between the lowest and highest income brackets. In contrast, when the countdown sign presented a nearby alternative (Scenario 2) or when customers consulted their smartphones before walking to their stop (Scenario 3), transit’s mode share was much higher—and differences among income groups virtually disappeared. However, the income gap reappeared when customers saw TNC advertisements on their mobile app (Scenario 4).
Incentivizing unlimited-ride passes over single-ride tickets also appears to boost transit mode share. Among frequent Muni users (4+ days per week), pay-as-you-go respondents were 5 to 14 percentage points less likely to ride transit than pass holders. Without an upfront financial commitment to transit, pay-as-you-go customers may be deliberating more about their options for each trip and choosing other transportation modes. To promote ridership, the SFMTA is introducing a new day pass and lowering visitor pass prices on selected fare media, as well as capping rate increases for its combined Muni/BART monthly pass.