Date: February 26, 2020
Author(s): Brian D. Taylor, Evelyn Blumenberg, Jacob L. Wasserman, Mark Garrett
Abstract
Transit ridership in the San Francisco Bay Area started declining in 2017, most noticeably on busses and off-peak trips. Ridership has become more commute-focused, with ridership at peak hours increasing dramatically. This study found that transit is losing riders overall, but drawing more commuters from non-traditional users. Additionally, the job-housing imbalance in the Bay Area is depressing transit ridership by increasing commute distances. Ridehail may also be a factor in ridership decline, providing an alternative to transit. Transit decline does not appear to be caused by factors within the control of transit operators. Regional policymakers should seek to improve transit service, push for transit oriented development, and create demand-based fares, among other strategies.
About the Project
Public transit ridership has been falling nationally and in California since 2014. The San Francisco Bay Area, with the state’s highest rates of transit use, had until recently resisted those […]