Unlimited Access Jeffrey Brown Daniel B. Hess Donald Shoup Institute of Transportation Studies.
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Transcript of Unlimited Access Jeffrey Brown Daniel B. Hess Donald Shoup Institute of Transportation Studies.
Unlimited Access
Jeffrey Brown
Daniel B. Hess
Donald Shoup
Institute of Transportation Studies
US Transit Ridership
• Some foreign cities have more transit ridership than all U.S. systems combined
• Riders now occupy only 27% of available seats on public transit
• Service improvements to attract new riders have been disappointing and costly
What is Unlimited Access?
• Students present university ID to board public transit
• A transit ride to campus or anywhere else is free at any time everyday
• The university pays the transit agency for student rides
35 Unlimited Access Programs
• 61 ¢ cents per ride
• 50 rides per person per year
• $30 per person per year
Why is Unlimited Access So Cheap?
• Universities buy at the pass rate
• Universal coverage avoids adverse selection
• Uses excess transit capacity
Unlimited Access Fills Empty Seats
Source: Student Response to 1998-1999 CTA U-Pass Program. Chicago Transit Authority.
All Riders v ersus U-Pass Ride rs
2 7 %
3 2 %
2 1 %
1 2 %
8 %1 0 %
4 0 %
2 2 %
1 7 %
11 %
- 20%
- 10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
T im e o f D ay
All Transit Rides U-Pass Rides
AM P e a k Midda y P M P e a k Eve ning Owl
Who Pays for Unlimited Access?
• 1/3 of universities pay the full cost
• 2/3 of universities require students to pay some or all of the cost
Students Strongly Support Unlimited Access
In February 1997 students voted 4 to 1 in favor of a transit pass program, and the program began operation in April of the same year.
Central Ohio Transit Authority
The student body reaffirmed their support by voting 15 to 1 in April 1997 to raise student fees to enhance the transit pass program.
University of Colorado at Boulder
In Spring 1996 student voters approved, with 84% of the votes cast in support, continuing the transit pass program.
University of California, Santa Barbara
SubsequentGrowth
Year Fare RateUniversity Began Before After Change Elasticity (%/year)
Cal. State. Univ., Sacramento 1992 315,000 537,700 + 71 % -0.26 + 2 %University of California, Davis 1990 587,000 1,054,000 + 79 % -0.28 + 10 %University of Wisconsin, Madison 1996 812,000 1,653,000 + 104 % -0.34 *Univ. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 1989 1,058,000 3,102,000 + 193 % -0.49 + 8 %University of Colorado, Boulder 1990 300,000 900,000 + 200 % -0.50 + 8 %
* Subsequent growth rate not available because the program started in 1996.
First-Year Increase in Student Ridership
UNLIMITED ACCESS INCREASES STUDENT RIDERSHIP
Unlimited Access Reduces Parking Demand
The philosophy behind starting our program in 1989 was a cost avoidance measure to keep from building more campus parking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The bus program has reduced parking demand by about 750 spaces, and has reduced political pressure to expand the parking supply. University of Colorado at Boulder
Unlimited Access Increases Students’ Access
Students love the program. It gives them tremendous freedom at an acceptable cost.
Marquette University
Students can live in better neighborhoods and get free rides to the university. They can also get to movies, shows, sports, and shopping.
University of Pittsburgh
Unlimited Access Saves Students Money
TABLE 2. FINANCIAL AID BUDGETS FOR UCLA UNDERGRADUATES, 1996-97
Off-Campus Housing
Cost On-Campus Housing Independent Parents’ HomeBooks & Supplies $930 $930 $930
Living $6,490 $7,101 $1,812
Personal $1,201 $954 $1,836
Transportation $172 $2,007 $2,777
Fees $4,050 $4,050 $4,050
Total Cost $12,843 $15,042 $11,405
Transportation as% of Total Cost
1% 13% 24%
Source: “Report on the University of California 1996-97 Cost of Attendance Survey, Appendix J.”Office of the President, University of California. Oakland, 1997.
Transit Agency Goals
• Increase Transit Ridership at a Low Marginal Cost
• Improve Transit Service for All Riders
• Improve Public Image by Demonstrating Willingness to be Innovative
• Foster Town-Gown Links with University
How Transit Systems Benefitfrom Unlimited Access
• Increase Total Ridership
• More Riders per Bus
• Reduce Operating Costs per Ride
• Add Vehicle Miles of Service
• Reduce Operating Subsidy Per Ride
• Reduce Total Operating Subsidy
Examining Transit System Benefits
• Methodology– Federal Transit Administration’s National Transit
Database
– Before and after data:• vehicle revenue miles
• unlinked passenger trips
• passenger miles
• annual operating expense
• passenger fares
Small Transit System
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Champaign-Urbana MTD
• Unlimited Access began in 1989
• In 1997-1998, students made 191 rides per year at a cost of $0.38 per ride
• Unlimited Access rides account for 61% of all rides on system
Total RidershipTotal Bus Ridership in Champaign-Urbana and the U.S.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999
Tota
l B
us
Rid
ersh
ip (
mil
lio
ns)
Ch
amp
aig
n-U
rban
a M
TD
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
Tota
l B
us
Rid
ersh
ip (
mil
lio
ns)
U.S
. Tr
ansi
t S
yste
ms
Before Unlimited Access After Unlimited Access (1989)
National Average
Champaign-Urbana MTD
U.S. Transit Systems
Riders per Bus
Riders per Bus in Champaign-Urbana and the U.S.
0
5
10
15
20
1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999
Rid
ers
per
Bu
s
Before Unlimited Access After Unlimited Access (1989)U.S. - Bus
U.S. Transit Systems
Champaign-Urbana MTD
Vehicle Miles of ServiceVehicle Miles of Service in Champaign-Urbana and the U.S.
(million vehicle revenue miles per year)
0
1
2
3
1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999
Veh
icle
Mil
es o
f S
ervi
ce (
mil
lio
ns)
Ch
amp
aig
n-U
rban
a M
TD
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
Veh
icle
Mil
es o
f S
ervi
ce (
mil
lio
ns)
U.S
. Tr
ansi
t S
yste
ms
Before Unlimited Access After Unlimited Access (1989)
National Average
Champaign-Urbana MTD
U.S. Transit Systems
Operating Cost per Ride
Operating Cost per Bus Ride in Champaign-Urbana and the U.S. (1999$)
$0.00
$1.00
$2.00
$3.00
$4.00
$5.00
1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999
Op
erat
ing
Co
st p
er B
us
Rid
e
Before Unlimited Access After Unlimited Access (1989)Bus Only U.S.
Champaign-Urbana MTD
U.S. Transit Systems
Large Transit System
• University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (1994) and Marquette University (1995) have Unlimited Access programs with the Milwaukee County Transit System
• In 1997-1998, students made 114 rides per year at a cost of $0.54 per ride
• Unlimited Access rides account for 3% of all rides on system
Total Ridership
Total Bus Ridership in Milwaukee and the U.S.
0
20
40
60
80
100
1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999
Tota
l B
us
Rid
ersh
ip (
mil
lio
ns)
Mil
wau
kee
Co
un
ty T
ran
sit
Sys
tem
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
Tota
l B
us
Rid
ersh
ip (
mil
lio
ns)
U.S
. Tr
ansi
t S
yste
ms
Before Unlimited AccessAfter Unlimited Access (1994, 1995)National Average
Milwaukee County Transit Sysetm
U.S. Transit Systems
Riders per Bus
Riders per Bus in Milwaukee and the U.S.
0
5
10
15
20
1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999
Rid
ers
per
Bu
s
Before Unlimited Access After Unlimited Access (1994, 1995)
U.S. Bus Transit Systems
Milwaukee County Transit System
Operating Cost per Ride
Operating Cost per Bus Ride in Milwaukeeand the U.S. (1999$)
$0.00
$1.00
$2.00
$3.00
$4.00
$5.00
1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999
Op
erat
ing
Co
st p
er B
us
Rid
e
Before Unlimited Access After Unlimited Access (1994, 1995)
Milwaukee County Transit System
U.S. Transit Systems
Why Don’t More Universities and Transit Agencies Offer Unlimited Access?
• More universities add Unlimited Access every year– Since our study year (1997/98) 6 to 8 programs have
begun, plus the Chicago U-Pass program (20 colleges)
• Many have not heard of Unlimited Access– failure to innovate, be creative
• Unlimited Access has high start-up costs– overcome tremendous resistance
– hard work and careful negotiation
BruinGO
Institute of Transportation Studies
Top-Ranked Bus Transit Systems in U.S., 1997
1. Santa Monica2. Champaign-Urbana Unlimited Access
3. Tucson4. Santa Barbara Unlimited Access (2 programs)
5. Milwaukee Unlimited Access (2 programs)
Method: Each system’s ranking was determined by comparing its performance against national averages for 12 different measures.
Source: Hartgen, David T. Comparative Performance of Major U.S. Bus Transit Systems. Charlotte, N.C.: Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Goals of BruinGO
• Increase public transit ridership to campus
• Reduce vehicle trips to campus
• Reduce parking demand on campus
Preliminary Results
• Faculty and Staff:
– Transit ridership to campus increased by 73%
– Vehicle trips to campus fell by 6%
– 828 fewer vehicle trips to campus per day
– Campus parking demand reduced by 828 spaces
How Does it Work?• All UCLA students, faculty, and
staff are eligible
• Riders swipe UCLA ID card
through electronic farebox
• Riders can use the Blue Bus on
any line, day or night, in any
direction
PUBLIC TRANSIT MODE SHAREFOR UCLA FACULTY AND STAFF
(1995 - 2001)
9.2%8.5%
7.6% 7.5%8.3%
7.6%
13.1%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Note: Faculty and staff commute mode shares were calculated from surveys conducted by UCLA Transportation Services and submitted to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Sample sizes were 3,051 employees in 2000 and 2,078 employees in 2001.
Cost of BruinGOCOMMUTER MODE SHARES OF UCLA FACULTY AND STAFF(Before and after BruinGO)
60%
20%
8%10%
2%
57%
16%13%
11%
2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Drive alone Carpool/vanpool Public transit Walk Bicycle
Before BruinGO (2000) After BruinGO (2001)
Note: Faculty and staff commute mode shares were calculated from surveys conducted by UCLA Transportation Services and submitted to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Sample sizes were 3,051 employees in 2000 and 2,078 employees in 2001.
Walk Share Increased
“Both my husband and I work on the UCLA campus.
Although we have a parking permit, we ‘walk and
swipe’ to work several times a week. While we
have the parking space, we use it less because of
the ability to use the bus.”
Cost of BruinGO
$ 0.45 per ride x 1.5 million rides
$ 673,000 total for first-year pilot program
$10 per person
Benefits of BruinGO
• Reduced parking demand
• Reduced vehicle travel
• Reduced vehicle emissions
• Savings for students, faculty, and staff
Daily Transit and Vehicle TripsUCLA Faculty and Staff
Before After % BruinGO BruinGO Change
Change
Transit Trips 1,656 2,871 + 1,215 + 73 %
Vehicle Trips 14,499 13,671 - 828 - 6 %
Reduced Parking Demand
• Reduces parking demand by 828 parking spaces
• 828 spaces x $2,517 per space = $2,085,000
“I love BruinGO. I gave up my parking permit because of it.”
“I never plan to apply for a parking permit again.”
“I mothballed my car and take the bus to school every day.”
Reduced Vehicle Travel
• BruinGO eliminated 273,000 faculty and staff vehicle trip to
campus
• 273,000 trips x 8.8 miles per trip = 2.4 million VMT
“Its about time that LA and its universities started to take some
responsibility for the horrendous traffic problems.”
“My car now sits in my driveway for weeks on end because I don’t need it.”
Reduced Vehicle Emissions
• 42,000 fewer pounds of CO
• 3,018,400 fewer pounds of CO2
• 3,800 fewer pounds of Nox
• 5,100 fewer pounds of ROG
“Students contribute to a healthier Los Angeles and we aid the community with this
simple innovation that reduces pollution.”
“I feel good about not driving to campus and thereby conserving natural resources.”
Reduced Fare Payments
• UCLA paid $ 673,000 for 1.5 million bus rides
• This subsidy is a direct benefit for riders
“I love the BruinGO program. I have like 700 bucks total … no kidding … and the
BruinGO program is like my lifeline.”
“I save about $10 weekly getting back and forth from school. $40 a month buys a
lot of groceries.”
“I know $1 a day doesn’t seem like a lot, but being able to ride free means I can put
the $25 I save per month to other things like schoolbooks.”
Comparing the Benefits and Costs
• Total benefits: $ 3,252,000 (reduced fares, reduced emissions,
reduced congestion, reduced parking demand)
• Total costs: $ 673,000
• Benefit/cost ratio: 4.8
“BruinGO is one of the smartest things UCLA has done in years.”
“Its wonderful to have ‘free’ transportation.”
“BruinGO makes me feel proud to be a Bruin.”
WHO RECEIVES THE BENEFITS?
Total Benefits = $ 3,252,000(reduced fares, reduced emissions,
reduced congestion, reduced parking demand)
Faculty and Staff22%
Students26%
Non-UCLA50%
UCLA Departments2%
WHO PAYS THE COST?
Total Cost = $ 673,000 (UCLA payments to the Blue Bus)
Students17%
Faculty and Staff25%
UCLA Departments4%
Non-UCLA54%
Benefits and Costs of BruinGO
Conclusion
BruinGO is
• a successful transportation policy • a creative financial aid program
Conclusion
• Nearly 3/4 of all seats on public transit are empty
• Unlimited Access is a creative, low-cost way to take advantage of excess capacity
• Unlimited Access improves students’ mobility• Unlimited Access reduces vehicle trips• Unlimited Access benefits students,
universities, transit systems, and communities