Evaluation of Ridership, Revenue and Equity Implications of Distance-Based Fares for Transit Systems. Executive Summary

摘要

The purpose of this project was to develop a micro-simulation model to evaluate the impact of selected distance-based fare policies on various sub-groups of the population in terms of revenue, ridership, and average fare paid in the Albany, New York Metropolitan Area, using data from an on-board ridership survey conducted by the local transit agency. The fare structure currently employed by most local or regional transit agencies consists of large zones within which passengers are charged the same amount regardless of the distance traveled. The micro-simulation technique was adopted because of the need to capture considerable detail at the level of the individual rider, which will permit subsequent aggregation by any desired characteristic such as age, sex, and trip purpose, for the equity analysis. The use of a disaggregate methodology also increases the model's potential for transferability. An interactive software package has been developed to implement the micro-simulation model.