November 2020
SEMCOG 2019 On-Board Transit Survey Preliminary Findings
Introduction Southeast Michigan’s transportation system is a cornerstone of the region’s livelihood. Now, more than ever, the region’s residents need safe and dependable transportation options. In support of continuous improvement in transit systems and increasing ridership, SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, invested in an extensive survey of transit riders and service. The results from the 2019 On-Board Transit Survey, summarized here, will be used to inform policy decisions and allocation of resources to continue to improve the regional transit network.
In partnership with regional transit providers, the following systems were surveyed – Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA), University of Michigan Transit Service (UM), Detroit People Mover (DPM), Blue Water Area Transit (BWAT), Lake Erie Transit (LET), The Q-Line, and MTA Flint. Survey responses provide information about travel patterns, demographics of transit riders, transit service characteristics, and passengers’ attitudes towards transit services.
The 2019 OBTS consisted of four components: boarding and alighting counts and on-to-off counts, on-board origin-destination interview survey, Title VI survey, and transit-oriented one-day travel survey for SEMCOG’s Activity-Based Model.
The primary response collection method was for survey team members to interview riders on board busses. The questions in the 2019 survey were comparable to those in the OBTS conducted in 2010, enabling better understanding of consistencies and changes over the years.
It is important to note that this survey was conducted between fall 2018 and spring 2019 – before the COVID- 19 pandemic. The pandemic has affected all facets of life, including the ways people communicate, travel, work, and interact. While SEMCOG analyzes the impacts of COVID-19 on travel patterns across the region, the 2019 OBTS findings remain of value for better understanding general trip-making characteristics of transit riders in Southeast Michigan. Key Preliminary Findings In 2019, there were more than 168,000 daily boardings on the region’s bus system, compared to 222,000 daily boardings in 2010 (28 percent less in 2019). While the region’s transit system has been
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steadily recovering from impacts caused by the Great Recession, budget cuts to public transit resulted in reduction in transit service across the region. Transit agencies in Southeast Michigan have been working hard with limited resources to restore and improve service levels, ridership numbers, and increase efficiency. About half of transit usage takes place on 10 percent of routes. 14,000 active bus stops were surveyed; 850 of them (six percent) served 50 percent of the daily regional ridership. 18 percent of riders are transit-dependent, meaning they would not be able to make their trip without transit. More than half of the transit riders did not have access to a car on survey day. About 40 percent of transit riders surveyed do not have a valid driver’s license. Young people use transit. More than one-third of the riders were between the ages of 18 and 25. About 60 percent of riders are 18-34. 44 percent of transit users are women, and 56 percent are men. 77 percent of riders come from households with annual income less than $50,000; 18 percent are from households with less than $10,000 income. Regionally, seven percent of households have an income less than $10,000. Riders with household income less than $40,000 walk to the bus 10 percent more often than riders with household income over $40,000. Overall, 90 percent of transit riders get to their bus stop by walking. 19 percent of riders do not have access to a credit or debit card. 72 percent of riders are employed (part- or full-time). 33 percent of riders have their fare paid for, in part or full, by either their employer or another organization. 33 percent of riders are college/university students. 86 percent of riders are regular users of transit (three to seven days a week). The majority of all trips are home-based (42 percent). Traveling to or from work is the second-highest trip purpose followed by school-related trips (21 percent and 14 percent respectively). 34 percent of riders make one or more transfer.
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Most transit riders walk to the bus stop Nearly 90 percent of transit users walk to their bus stop. Nine percent of transit riders use a vehicle to access transit, which consists of those who drive alone and park (five percent), people who are dropped off by someone (two percent), and those who carpool with others and park (two percent).
Figure 1: Access Mode to Transit Bike 1% Auto 9%
Walk 90%
Note: Auto includes driving alone and parking, carpooling and parking, and being dropped off.
Income ranges for transit users In 2019, 77 percent of riders were from households with incomes less than $50,000; nearly 20 percent of those had an annual income of less than $10,000. Nearly one-fourth of all riders come from households with incomes over $50,000.
Figure 2: Household Income $100,000 or more 6% $75,000 - $99,999 5% $60,000 - $74,999 6% $50,000 - $59,999 6% $40,000 - $49,999 8% $30,000 - $39,999 12% $25,000 - $29,999 8% $20,000 - $24,999 11% $15,000 - $19,999 10% $10,000 - $14,999 10% Below $10,000 18% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
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Income plays a role in how people access transit Household income influences the ways riders get to their bus stop. This can affect the overall time it takes for riders to reach their destinations. Riders with household income less than $40,000 walk to the bus 10 percent more often than riders with household income over $40,000. Overall, 90 percent of transit riders get to their bus stop by walking. In addition, riders with household income less than $40,000 use a vehicle to access transit five percent of the time, compared to riders with household incomes over $40,000, who use a vehicle for 17 percent of transit trips.
Table 1: Transit Access Compared to Income Income Ranges Access Mode <$40,000 >$40,000 Walked 93% 82% Drove alone and parked 2% 12%
Dropped off by someone going someplace else 2% 2%
Drove or rode with others and parked 1% 3% Biked 1% 1%
How often do riders take transit? 86 percent of riders are frequent riders who use transit 3-7 days a week.
Figure 3: Transit Use Frequency
First time to make this trip 1% Less than 1 day a month 1% 1-3 days / month 2% 1-2 days / week 9% 3-5 days / week 57% 6-7 days /week 29%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
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Many riders need two or more busses to access their destination More than one-third of riders indicated they have to use two or more busses to reach their destination. Two percent of transit trips require three different busses to complete.
Figure 4: Total Transfers 2 transfers, 2% 1 transfer, 32%
No transfers, 66%
Conclusion
Studying how people use different modes of transportation helps planners and local elected officials create safer and more efficient options to travel throughout the region. The findings from the OBTS help us to understand travel patterns, transit service characteristics, and general attitudes of passengers towards transit services. The findings will also be applied to SEMCOG’s Travel Demand Forecasting Model update, which will enhance the travel model’s transit and mode-choice components.
SEMCOG will continue to analyze results from the 2019 OBTS, consider them in the context of the 2010 OBTS and additional data from local transit providers to better understand conditions of the transit network.
For more information, please contact Alex Bourgeau, SEMCOG Transportation Modeling And Mobility.
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