Title: A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NEEDS STUDY FOR THE LOW DENSITY AREAS IN A FIVE-STATE REGION IN THE MIDWEST (IOWA, KANSAS, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, AND OKLAHOMA)
Abstract: This report is concerned with the Public Transportation Planning Process for low density areas. The study area is the five-state Midwestern region of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, referred to in the report as the target region or the Midwest. The main research objectives of the study are to: 1) study the performance characteristics of transit systems in the target areas and compare these with the characteristics of corresponding systems in other regions of the United States; 2) develop a planning methodology for estimating the amount of travel for public transportation and evaluating alternative transit systems for low density areas in general and for the target region in particular; and 3) utilize the views and input from local officials and transportation agency personnel in deriving such a methodology for their use. This report outlines a systematic approach by which travel demand for rural public transportation as well as the selection of appropriate public transportation systems to meet rural travel patterns can best be determined. The report is in three parts: Part I deals with demand and need assessment methodologies; Part II is concerned with operational and technological issues and presents system evaluation methodologies; and Part III outlines the main conclusions and recommendations. Based on the findings, the major conclusions of this study are that there are two mutually exclusive groups of transit clientele: a group who needs the service and another group who demands the service. Therefore, the method of estimating actual travel by these groups should be considered separately, although they jointly constitute the overall estimated ridership and a methodology which can incorporate the estimation of all components of travel requirements for rural public transportation within the framework of incremental analysis would be useful. (FHWA)
Publication Year: 1981
Publication Date: 1981-04-01
Language: en
Type: article
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