This paper presents a set of procedures for estimating transit needs using readily available data sources, applies these procedures to a specific study area, and generates a spatial distribution of transit needs. This distribution of need is used as input to the design of a local transit service for the study area. Ridership data from the implemented transit service is then used to check the reasonableness of the transit need distribution that was generated from the estimation procedures. The results indicate that secondary data sources can be used to develop reasonable estimates of transit needs and to identify specific areas that have high unmet needs; these need estimates can be used to design actual services that are responsive to the travel desires of local residents.
Samenvatting