Coverage vs frequency

Journal article record
Title	Coverage vs frequency: Is spatial coverage or temporal frequency more impactful on transit ridership?
Journal	Journal of Transport Geography‎ vol. 122 no. 104058
Abstract	Transit ridership has long been studied, and the findings are elucidated by Taylor and Fink (2003) when they say, “to sum, transit ridership is largely, though not completely, a product of factors outside the control of transit managers.” Other than transit fare price, few studies have looked with much scrutiny at the factors that are within the purview of transit agencies. Transit service provision has been found to affect ridership, but “service provision” is often nebulously defined, shedding little light onto how transit managers can best provide service that will create returns in the form of transit ridership. This study examines the effects of spatial coverage and temporal frequency on transit ridership to determine just which lever is most effective. We use a cross-sectional study design with 152 regions around the United States. We employ structural equation modeling (SEM) to explain complex relationships that exist among interrelated variables. We find that both factors are strong predictors of transit ridership, with service frequency having a larger impact.
Authors	Torrey Lyons‎ Reid Ewing‎ Guang Tian‎
Date	January 2025‎
Keywords and locations
Keywords	Public transport‎
Locations	United States‎
How to find and cite this journal article
Publication	10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2024.104058
Access	This journal article is open access and can be read for free as of 20 February 2025.
Citation	Lyons, T., Ewing, R., & Tian, G. (2025). Coverage vs frequency: Is spatial coverage or temporal frequency more impactful on transit ridership? Journal of Transport Geography, 122, 104058.

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