Exploring Microtransit Adoption and its Impacts on Transportation Access for Underserved Populations

Yan Xing, Susan Pike, Maxwell Waechter, Graham DeLeon, Liubov Lipatova, Susan Handy and Yunshi Wang

Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series from Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis

Abstract: Transportation-disadvantaged populations often face significant challenges in meeting their basic travel needs. Microtransit, a technology-enabled transit mobility solution, has the potential to address these issues by providing on-demand, affordable, and flexible services with multi-passenger vehicles. The ways in which microtransit supports underserved populations and the factors influencing its adoption are not well-studied, however. This research examines SmaRT Ride, a microtransit pilot program in the Sacramento, California, area operated by Sacramento Regional Transit. The project evaluates a broad range of factors influencing microtransit adoption and travel behavior among underserved populations using original revealed choice survey data collected from February – May 2024 with online and intercept surveys. A descriptive analysis revealed that SmaRT Ride has improved transportation access for these communities, complements the transit system by connecting fixed-route transit, and offers a cost-effective alternative to other transportation modes. A binary logistic regression was employed to explore differences between microtransit users and non-users with microtransit awareness. The results indicate that homeownership, employment status, frequency of public transit service use, and attitude towards transit significantly affect microtransit use. Homeowners are more likely to use microtransit, while households without employed members are less likely. In contrast, part-time employees show a higher inclination to use microtransit. Regular public transit users are also more likely to incorporate microtransit into their routines, with a positive attitude toward public transit further increasing the likelihood of its use. The nuanced understanding of microtransit adoption presented here can inform targeted strategies to promote its use among transportation-disadvantaged groups. The results suggest that integrating microtransit with existing transit, outreach programs, discounted or free access, extended service hours, and supporting homeownership and affordable housing in transit-rich areas can encourage microtransit adoption by low-income and/or underserved individuals. View the NCST Project Webpage

Keywords: Social and Behavioral Sciences; Access; Demand responsive transportation; Public transit; Surveys; Transportation disadvantaged persons; Travel behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-10-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dcm, nep-tre and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9863j1fz.pdf;origin=repeccitec (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt9863j1fz

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series from Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Lisa Schiff ().