G.E. Equipped PCCs/transit ridership

[John Swindler]

>
>In a message dated 07/19/2000 10:30:35 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
>j_swindler at hotmail.com writes:
>
><< read Passenger Transport, published by the American Public Transit 
>Association.  They recently reported that transit ridership has been 
>increasing in recent years, and is back to the levels experienced in the 
>early 1960s. >>
>


HRBran replied

>From "Transit Fact Book," by APTA, 1999:
>
>1960 -- 9.4 billion trips on public transit -- 13% of all trips (auto and 
>transit)
>1965 -- 8.3 billion trips on public transit --   9% of all trips (auto and 
>transit)
>1995 -- 7.0 billion trips on public transit --   2% of all trips (auto and 
>transit)
>1997 -- 7.4 billion trips on public transit --   2.005% of all trips (auto 
>& transit)
>
>A slight increase, but not near the number of total transit trips and very 
>far away from the percentage of auto vs. transit trips.
>
>Transit is on a decline which will never end. The glory days ended some 
>time ago. Unless some catastrophic event takes place (crude oil supply 
>depletes; widespread war; total economic collapse, etc.) public transit 
>will never be the same as it was even 25 years ago.
>
>HrB



In response, here is an extract from the summary for APTA ridership 
statistics available on-line, plus a recent APTA news release.  First heard 
the 1960s quote from Bill Millar at a transit conference this past April.
As I mentioned in original post, transit's slice of the total transportation 
pie continues to shrink, but the pie (total person trips) is increasing.

John Swindler


Summary
What is Public Transportation?
Public transportation includes all multiple-occupancy vehicle services 
designed to transport customers on local and regional routes. These services 
are: private and public buses; rail; ferryboats; Amtrak, intercity bus, and 
taxi services operated under contract to a public transportation agency; any 
vanpool service operated by or under such a contract; and other 
transportation services for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Public Transportation’s Customers
How many people use public transportation? In 1998, Americans took an 
estimated 8.7 billion trips using public transportation, an increase of 4.6 
percent more than the previous year. Ridership has increased by 16 percent 
since 1995, an average of 4 percent each year. For those trips, 62 percent 
traveled on buses, 27 percent heavy rail, 4 percent commuter rail, and 3 
percent light rail.
APTA estimates about 13 million Americans used public transportation each 
weekday in 1998. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates another 25 
million use public transportation less frequently but on a regular basis. 
Within any given two-month period, nearly 12 percent of the national 
population uses public transportation, according to the 1995 National 
Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS). In the largest U.S. cities, 21 
percent of the public or 28 million people use public transportation at 
least once in a typical two-month period. Ridership is also highest in large 
cities, during peak travel periods and for work trips.
Where do people go on public transportation? According to APTA data, work is 
the most popular destination with 54 percent of all trips ending at 
workplaces. Next, 15 percent of trips go to schools; 9 percent to shop; 9 
percent, social visits; and 5.5 percent, medical appointments.
As the type of the trip varies on public transportation, so does the average 
distance traveled. Vanpool customers take the longest trips (35.9 miles). 
Next, commuter rail, 22.8 miles; demand response, 10.6 miles; ferryboat, 6.0 
miles; heavy rail, 5.1 miles; light rail, 4.1 miles; bus, 3.8 miles; and 
other modes, 1.6 miles.
Many different types of people ride public transportation. Data collected by 
APTA shows the diversity of public transportation’s customers. People age 65 
and older represent 7 percent of riders; 18 years and under, 10 percent; 
women, 52 percent; White, 45 percent; African-American, 31 percent; 
Hispanic, 18 percent; and Asians and Native Americans, 6 percent.
Public transportation users come from all household income levels. The 
majority of passengers fall in the income range of $15,000 to $50,000; below 
$15,000, 27 percent; more than $50,000, nearly 20 percent.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s 1995 National Personal 
Transportation Survey estimated that 8 million of the 100 million U.S. 
households did not own a car, truck, van, motorcycle, or motor scooter. An 
additional 30 million households owned only one vehicle.


(And from a recent APTA press release)


Public Transportation Ridership Continues To Soar
U.S. Transit Ridership Shows 4.8 Percent Increase In First Quarter
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 17, 2000. For the first quarter of this year, the 
nation’s public transportation systems have recorded a 4.8 increase in 
ridership over the same period in 1999, according to the American Public 
Transportation Association’s (APTA) newly released 2000 transit ridership 
quarterly report.
The continuing increase in ridership builds on last year’s year-end total of 
more than 9 billion trips, the highest peak in annual ridership since 1960. 
Total ridership in 1999 was 4.5 percent higher than in the previous year. 
This year’s Leap Day, February 29, accounted for 1.4 percent of the total 
quarterly increase.
"The positive trend continues. The strong economy and the public 
transportation industry’s ongoing efforts to listen to our customers and 
invest in new services have helped keep ridership growing," said William W. 
Millar, President of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).
The increase was broad-based, with every mode of transportation and every 
population group showing a positive trend. Among the transit modes, bus 
systems serving populations from 50,000 to 100,000 in population showed the 
largest increase with 12.1 percent, followed by rail transit systems with 
7.4 percent; bus systems serving areas from 250,000 to 500,000 in population 
at 6.6 percent; 5.5 percent for trolley bus systems; 5.4 percent for 
commuter rail, and 4.8 percent for light rail.
Seen throughout the U.S., first quarter growth continues to cut across small 
towns, suburban regions, and large cities. Smaller bus systems with 
quarterly increases exceeding 10 percent included: Fort Myers, FL (20.4 
percent), Grand Rapids, MI (11.5 percent), Phoenix, AZ (10.6 percent) and 
Salt Lake City, UT (20.9 percent).
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which opened a 
major extension of its Metro Red Line subway during the quarter, led the 
heavy rail sector with a 62.3 percent jump in ridership. Other heavy rail 
systems showing increases included the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit 
District, 15.6 percent; MTA New York City Transit, 8.8 percent; the 
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), 8.5 percent; 
Philadelphia’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, 7.5 
percent; and the Chicago Transit Authority, 7.2 percent.
Among bus systems serving populations of more than one million, WMATA in 
Washington, D.C., 13 percent; MTA New York City Transit, 6.8 percent; and 
Tri-Met in Portland, OR, (6.5 percent) also accounted for significant gains 
in ridership.
The Altamont Commuter Express in San Jose, CA showed a 50 percent ridership 
increase during the first quarter, the highest among commuter rail systems. 
Other leaders in the sector were Virginia Railway Express (20.4 percent), 
CALTRAIN in San Francisco-San Jose CA (18.1 percent), and Dallas (15.5 
percent).
Leaders in the light rail sector included San Diego Trolley (33.5 percent), 
Memphis (29.9 percent), Santa Clara VTA in San Jose CA (23.9 percent), and 
Denver’s Regional Transportation District (19.1 percent).
-30-
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com