Increasing Transit Ridership: Lessons from the Most Successful Transit Systems in the 1990s

Abstract

This study examines recent trends in public transit ridership in the U.S. during the 1990s, focusing on agencies where ridership increased during the latter half of the decade. A survey of officials from agencies that experienced a ridership increase as well as case studies of 12 agencies that were successful at attracting new riders were used in the analysis. Factors both internal and external to transit systems that influence ridership growth were identified.