Transportation
What Transit Riders Really Want
A new survey of 3,000 riders finds frequency, speed, and walkability are key for satisfying, effective transit.
Sad but true: Not all officials who make decisions about public transit actually use public transit.
That disconnect can sometimes lead cities to make transit investments in things like downtown streetcars or wifi-equipped bus fleets. Those aren’t bad investments in themselves, but they’re not always conducive to truly effective transit. “The reality is, good transit is the same as it’s always been,” Steven Higashide, a senior program analyst at the transportation research foundation TransitCenter, said in a conference call Monday. “It’s getting someone where they want to go, quickly and reliably.”