Re: [CTPP] Reconciling Census Transit Commuters with Ridership Statistics

Chuck: Think about all the new systems that require changes in mode. APTA uses turnstiles counts and we count workers. one new lrt means 4 trips per day bus/rail and rail/bus return vs one worker. ----- Original Message ----- From: Chuck Purvis <CPurvis(a)mtc.ca.gov> To: <ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net> Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2002 6:36 PM Subject: [CTPP] Reconciling Census Transit Commuters with Ridership Statistics the NATIONAL level, in the total number of transit commuters. The US had 6,069,589 transit commuters according to the 1990 Census, and 6,067,703 transit commuters according to the 2000 Census, a 0.03 percent decrease. (On the other hand, the US transit commute SHARE declined from 5.3 percent in 1990 to 4.7 percent in 2000.) percent increase in annual unlinked passenger trips comparing 1990 to 2000. (Source is APTA's 2002 Public Transportation Fact Book, Table 26.) The APTA book (I would assume based on FTA-collected ridership statistics) shows annual unlinked public transit trips increasing from 8,799 million trips in 1990 to 9,363 million trips in 2000 (the 2000 numbers are preliminary, according to the 2002 APTA Fact Book). commuters with a 6.4 percent increase in national transit ridership. transportation trips has declined since 1990. According to the 1990 NPTS, 42.6 percent of public transportation person trips are for the purpose of "earning a living" (NPTS Databook, Vol. 1, Table 4.40). (in 1990) are "work trips" and that this might decline to about 3,747 million unlinked transit boarding "work trips", in 2000. This means that perhaps 40 percent of year 2000 transit boardings are work trips (3,747 / 9,363), which is quite plausible at the national level. 2000, has remained fairly stable, and that, at least at the national level, the growth in transit is attributable to non-work travel. or the 2001 NHTS that can corroborate this possible trend - - a decline in the work purpose share for public transportation trips? commuters with their own transit ridership statistics? What would be most helpful is any comparisons of on-board surveys or household travel surveys that show any changes in the trip purpose mix for transit trips. the Census data. We are very concerned about the overall LOW numbers of TOTAL commuters and employed residents we're seeing in the 2000 Census in our region....)