Coordination of Transit and School Busing in Iowa

2005 ◽  
Vol 1927 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-10
Author(s):  
Dennis Kroeger ◽  
Steve Andrle ◽  
Peter Hallock
Keyword(s):  
Public Transportation ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
State University ◽  
School Transportation ◽  
School Busing ◽  
Transit Services ◽  
Maintenance Systems ◽  
Transit Agencies ◽  
Research And Education ◽  
Transportation Research

The 2003 Iowa General Assembly asked the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) to conduct a study of Iowa public policy on coordination of public transit services and school transportation. The legislature's request, contained in the transportation appropriation bill, required “a report pertaining to the efficiencies that may be gained by the coordination of transit management and maintenance systems in the areas of school transportation, public transit, and other forms of public transportation.” Such efficiencies are described. As requested by the Iowa DOT, the Center for Transportation Research and Education at Iowa State University studied these issues and prepared a report for the Office of Public Transit. A summary of the coordination activities that are taking place in Iowa between the school districts and transit agencies is presented. Furthermore, the levels of coordination and what benefits are derived from coordinating services are discussed. The objectives of the study include the following: to examine the legal basis for such coordination in Iowa; to inventory the types of coordination taking place around the state; and to highlight some of the coordination models, with a discussion of what each party believes are the benefits of the coordination as well as obstacles that have been encountered.

scholarly journals City Best Practices to Improve Transit Operations and Safety

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle DeRobertis ◽  
Christopher E. Ferrell ◽  
Richard W. Lee ◽  
David Moore
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Land Development ◽  
Metropolitan Planning ◽  
Passenger Safety ◽  
Municipal Policies ◽  
Transit Services ◽  
Transit Agencies ◽  
The City ◽  
Policies And Practices

Public, fixed-route transit services most commonly operate on public streets. In addition, transit passengers must use sidewalks to access transit stops and stations. However, streets and sidewalks are under the jurisdiction of municipalities, not transit agencies. Various municipal policies, practices, and decisions affect transit operations, rider convenience, and passenger safety. Thus, these government entities have an important influence over the quality, safety, and convenience of transit services in their jurisdictions. This research identified municipal policies and practices that affect public transport providers’ ability to deliver transit services. They were found from a comprehensive literature review, interviews and discussions with five local transit agencies in the U.S., five public transportation experts and staff from five California cities. The city policies and practices identified fall into the following five categories: Infrastructure for buses, including bus lanes, signal treatments, curbside access; Infrastructure for pedestrians walking and bicycling to, and waiting at, transit stops and stations; Internal transportation planning policies and practices; Land development review policies; Regional and metropolitan planning organization (MPO) issues. The understanding, acknowledgment, and implementation of policies and practices identified in this report can help municipalities proactively work with local transit providers to more efficiently and effectively operate transit service and improve passenger comfort and safety on city streets.

Gender differences in perception and usage of public transit technologies: Implications for digital government

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Nilay Yavuz
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Digital Government ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Transit Services ◽  
Information And Communication

Technological solutions available to public agencies in delivering public services have increased, including the information and communication technologies (ICTs) used in public transit. For many women who depend on public transit services to access employment, childcare, education, health, and political processes (Hamilton & Jenkins, 2000), transit technologies may offer increased convenience and benefits and eventually improve their living conditions. While women tend to use public transit services more intensively than men (Racca & Ratledge, 2004), prior studies have shown that their perceptions and attitudes towards ICTs and patterns of technology use tend to differ from men. On the other hand, these differences are not well explored in the context of public transit services. Accordingly, using systematic literature review methodology, this paper intends to outline what we know and do not know about gender differences in technology adoption in the public transportation context to develop a research agenda for future studies. It aims to inform theory and policy development for digital government by identifying the gaps in this area.

scholarly journals Measuring Spatial Mismatch between Public Transit Services and Regular Riders: A Case Study of Beijing

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haitao Jin ◽  
Fengjun Jin ◽  
He Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Public Transportation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Urban Transit ◽  
Allocation Policy ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Transit Services ◽  
A Cell

Public transit services should favor space equity, and the concern of this study is how the allocation of public transportation resources corresponds to the needs of transit users. Identifying mismatches between urban transit resources and regular transit users benefits the transportation resource allocation policy. This study introduces a location maximum likelihood estimation method and a cell space collector mechanism to explore distribution differences of regular transit riders and transit stations based on data mining. In Beijing, 5.37 million regular transit users were identified, and their first-morning transit stations were found to be within 2 km from their last transit stations used the day before. As their locations were estimated, differences in ratios of the regular transit riders to residents were found among areas. Most regular transit users were located in the suburban areas of 5–20 km from the center of Beijing, and the spatial distribution of transit stations declined from the center to the peripheral urban areas. This mismatch between public transit services and regular transit riders sheds light on urban transportation policies.

scholarly journals The future of emerging technologies in public transit in Greater Toronto Area

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaiem Haider
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Elderly Person ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Greater Toronto Area ◽  
The World ◽  
Transit Agencies

In communities throughout the world, strong and convenient public transportation makes valuable contributions to economic development, increased safety, energy conservation, a cleaner environment, less traffic congestion, and an improved quality of life. Whether it's a disabled person on her way to a doctor appointment, a child on the way to the library, or an elderly person going to buy groceries, rails, buses and vans connect people to their community. While transit serves many purposes, one of the most important of which is to provide critical access and mobility for transit-dependent and lower-income residents country wide, it also reduces the pressure on critical commute corridors by offering a convenient alternative to driving alone. People who are dependent on public transit, the young or the old, the disabled or the low-income, deserve a first-class system. A survey was conducted by City Pulse Toronto (CP 24) and the question they put to the viewers was "Would improved public transit convinces you to give up your car?" The result was amazing that 96% of the people using cars opted for Public transit. In the last decade statistics depict that the cities that have adopted emerging technologies in public transit are reaping the benefits of their increased rider ship by almost three fold. It is disappointing to see that the transit-using trend in Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has decreased in the past five years except in the regions where transit agencies are updating their systems. Throughout the North America and other parts of the world, transit agencies are deploying automatic vehicle location and control fleet management systems, electronic and interactive customer information systems, and contact/contactless fare collection systems to save costs, improve operations and management efficiency and provide better service to customers. In this project an effort is made to depict the extent of adoption of advanced technology in the provision of public transportation service in Greater Toronto Area. The focus is on some of the most innovative or comprehensive implementations, categorized under two types of services/technologies, Automatic Passenger Counting and Electronic Fare Payment. Another objective of this study is to assemble the knowledge on successful applications of advanced technologies, the issues in their implementation, the goals and benefits of Intelligent Transportation System's integration. The study focuses on institutional, operational and technical barriers with the expectation that this will lead to more widespread adoption of ITS systems and techniques.

Role of Public Transportation in a Natural Disaster State of Emergency Declaration

2019 ◽  
Vol 2673 (5) ◽  
pp. 230-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodi Godfrey ◽  
Gennaro Saliceto ◽  
Roberta Yegidis
Keyword(s):  
Public Transportation ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Status ◽  
Response And Recovery ◽  
Transit Agencies

Destructive natural disasters such as hurricanes or other extreme weather events challenge many industries, especially the public transit industry. The 2017 hurricane season proved to be tumultuous, with three major hurricanes devastating the United States in less than 2 months. The challenges faced in Florida, in response to Hurricane Irma, precipitated best practices and lessons learned related to monitoring and reporting the status of transportation infrastructure, identifying temporary alternative solutions, and coordinating and communicating with emergency operations centers, state departments of transportation, and individual transit agencies. Sharing the lessons learned from recent firsthand experiences will undoubtedly improve the public transit industry’s emergency preparedness, response, and recovery activities.

scholarly journals The future of emerging technologies in public transit in Greater Toronto Area

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaiem Haider
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Elderly Person ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Greater Toronto Area ◽  
The World ◽  
Transit Agencies

In communities throughout the world, strong and convenient public transportation makes valuable contributions to economic development, increased safety, energy conservation, a cleaner environment, less traffic congestion, and an improved quality of life. Whether it's a disabled person on her way to a doctor appointment, a child on the way to the library, or an elderly person going to buy groceries, rails, buses and vans connect people to their community. While transit serves many purposes, one of the most important of which is to provide critical access and mobility for transit-dependent and lower-income residents country wide, it also reduces the pressure on critical commute corridors by offering a convenient alternative to driving alone. People who are dependent on public transit, the young or the old, the disabled or the low-income, deserve a first-class system. A survey was conducted by City Pulse Toronto (CP 24) and the question they put to the viewers was "Would improved public transit convinces you to give up your car?" The result was amazing that 96% of the people using cars opted for Public transit. In the last decade statistics depict that the cities that have adopted emerging technologies in public transit are reaping the benefits of their increased rider ship by almost three fold. It is disappointing to see that the transit-using trend in Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has decreased in the past five years except in the regions where transit agencies are updating their systems. Throughout the North America and other parts of the world, transit agencies are deploying automatic vehicle location and control fleet management systems, electronic and interactive customer information systems, and contact/contactless fare collection systems to save costs, improve operations and management efficiency and provide better service to customers. In this project an effort is made to depict the extent of adoption of advanced technology in the provision of public transportation service in Greater Toronto Area. The focus is on some of the most innovative or comprehensive implementations, categorized under two types of services/technologies, Automatic Passenger Counting and Electronic Fare Payment. Another objective of this study is to assemble the knowledge on successful applications of advanced technologies, the issues in their implementation, the goals and benefits of Intelligent Transportation System's integration. The study focuses on institutional, operational and technical barriers with the expectation that this will lead to more widespread adoption of ITS systems and techniques.

Perceived Reality

2017 ◽  
Vol 2652 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dea van Lierop ◽  
Ahmed El-Geneidy
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Logit Models ◽  
Transit Services ◽  
Perceived Reality ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
Bus Service ◽  
Transit Agencies ◽  
Insight Into

Ensuring that customers are satisfied with public transit is important, and traditionally transit agencies have assessed customer satisfaction by using questionnaires designed to collect information about users’ personal characteristics and perceptions of service. However, these questionnaires assess only individuals’ perceptions of transit services, without accounting for the service that users actually experienced. With that in mind, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the drivers of public transit satisfaction for users on the basis of an analysis of customer satisfaction questionnaires, as well as operations data obtained from automatic vehicle location and automatic passenger counter systems for an express bus route in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The goal of the paper is to understand what the main factors influencing customer satisfaction in this context are. The paper questions whether using operations data in parallel with passengers’ perception data is useful in understanding customer satisfaction. With a series of logit models, it is found that actual crowding and users’ reported satisfaction with crowding are associated with how transit users perceive overall satisfaction with the bus service. Furthermore, the models reveal that car access, age, past use, and users’ perceptions of frequency, onboard safety, and cleanliness are also positively associated with overall satisfaction. This study could be useful for public transit planners as it provides new insight into how data derived from customer satisfaction surveys and bus operations can be used to identify which modifiable components of the service can be prioritized to effectively increase riders’ overall satisfaction.

scholarly journals An Assessment of Public Transport Accessibility Levels for Slums in Bhopal

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 252-258
Author(s):  
Aditya Saxena ◽  
Vallary Gupta ◽  
Bhavna Shrivastava
Keyword(s):  
Public Transport ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Access Time ◽  
Modal Shift ◽  
Major Question ◽  
Transport Accessibility ◽  
Transport Services ◽  
Transit Accessibility ◽  
Transit Services

Good connectivity and accessibility ensure inclusivity of public transport system which is an indicator of a fair society. The modal shift of commuters towards public transit services depends majorly on its accessibility levels. To ensure that commuters have equal opportunities to access jobs, education, and other services, PTAL (public transit accessibility level) is often evaluated. Public transport accessibility levels are a detailed and an accurate measure of accessibility of a point to the public transport network which considers walk access time and service availability. Public transportation is often referred to as an affordable model for every section of society due to its cheap fare price. The major question lies in the inclusivity of public transit services for the economically weaker section of society whether or not public transportation is available and accessible for those who need it or those who cannot afford other mobility services. The present study intends to focus on affordable and inclusive transportation for economically weaker sections. The study is an attempt to assess the issues with public transport services in the city of Bhopal, India for economically backward areas like slums. The research will help in understanding the accessibility level of currently available public transit services by evaluating the PTAL (public transit accessibility level) for socially backward.

scholarly journals Equity-Advancing Practices at Public Transit Agencies in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110168
Author(s):  
Alex Karner ◽  
Kaylyn Levine
Keyword(s):  
Public Engagement ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
The United States ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Regulatory Guidance ◽  
Transportation Equity ◽  
Transit Agencies

Consistent with federal anti-discrimination and environmental justice law and guidance, public transportation agencies must evaluate the extent to which their decisions benefit and burden different people and groups and they must also conduct public engagement during decision-making. Assessing benefits and burdens and facilitating engagement are critically important for achieving transportation equity. In practice, quantitative analyses of plan impacts can be used to highlight and mitigate disparate benefits and burdens, but analyses are often conducted after major decisions have already been made and agencies have substantial flexibility in data collection and analysis. Public engagement can also affect equity-related outcomes, but agencies still rely heavily on public meetings and one-way information dissemination approaches that alienate potential participants. Considering the shortcomings associated with quantitative analysis and traditional public engagement as well as the open-ended nature of existing regulatory guidance, there is a need to understand the broad range of approaches that public transit agencies use to pursue equity-related goals. In this review of practice, we summarize six measures that agencies are using to advance transportation equity. Each measure is described using information gleaned from semi-structured interviews and primary source materials. We also identify challenges and shortcomings inherent in each approach using perspectives from the academic literature. The results will be useful for practitioners seeking equitable public transit systems and desiring to go beyond the standard approaches suggested by federal law and guidance.

Measuring Benefits of Rural and Small Urban Transit in Greater Minnesota

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812199001
Author(s):  
Jeremy Mattson ◽  
Del Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Economic Impacts ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Labor Income ◽  
Urban Transit ◽  
Societal Benefits ◽  
Transit Services ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Transit Agencies ◽  
Benefit Cost

The objective of this research was to measure the benefits of rural and small urban transit services in Minnesota. The study accomplished this by first identifying, describing, and classifying the potential benefits of transit. Second, a method was developed to measure these benefits. Where possible, benefits were quantified in dollar values. Other benefits that could not be quantified in monetary terms were either quantified in another way or described qualitatively. The study included an analysis of societal benefits and economic impacts within local communities. Third, the developed method was applied to a series of six case studies across Greater Minnesota. Data were collected through onboard rider surveys for each of the six transit agencies. Total benefits and benefit-cost ratios were estimated for the six transit agencies—all showed benefits that exceeded costs—and results were generalized to Greater Minnesota. Economic impacts were also estimated showing the effect on jobs, labor income, and value added. This research provides information to assess the benefits of public spending on transit, which gives decision makers the data needed to inform investment decisions.

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