Managers of urban public transit systems face a formidable challenge: how to retain and build ridership given transit's overall share of person-trip of about 2 percent. In spite of this share, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) reports that the nation's transit system carried 27.1 million riders (unlinked passenger trips) on an average weekday in 1998, and the number of trips has increased during the past decade. Can improvements in the quality and presentation of transit information to members of the traveling public contribute to retaining current ridership and also attract new riders away from their cars? Where does transit information fit among the many social and economic forces that help determine levels of ridership? Will the newer information technologies such as the Internet offer additional leverage on this problem? These questions are explored in order to set the context for considering sensible guidance in how to enhance the quality and content of transit web sites.
Abstract