Sustainable Mobility Policy Review Background Paper 9 Statistics and Trends Contents Context and questions for consideration .............................................................................................. 1 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 2 2 Trends in public transport use ......................................................................................................... 4 3 Demographics of public transport users ...................................................................................... 16 4 Finances and funding ....................................................................................................................... 25 5 Availability and reliability ................................................................................................................ 38 6 Operator statistics ............................................................................................................................ 45 7 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 55 Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................... 57 Data Sources and References ................................................................................................................ 58 Prepared by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport www.dttas.gov.ie List of Figures Figure 2.1: Numbers commuting to work, school or college by mode, 2006-2016 ........................ 5 Figure 2.2: Public transport use to work, school or college, 1986-2016 ........................................... 5 Figure 2.3: Work commutes by transport mode, 1996 to 2016 .......................................................... 6 Figure 2.4: Public transport use by work commuters, 1986-2016 ...................................................... 7 Figure 2.5: Public transport use by school, and college students, 2006-2016 ................................. 8 Figure 2.6: Breakdown of daily journeys by purpose, 2016 ................................................................. 9 Figure 2.7: Percentage of all adult journeys by mode, 2012-2016 ..................................................... 9 Figure 2.8: Percentage of journeys made by public transport, Dublin and rest of country......... 10 Figure 2.9: Dublin Canal Cordon Count, 2010-2018 .......................................................................... 11 Figure 2.10: Dublin Canal Cordon Count by public transport mode, 2010-2018 ........................... 11 Figure 2.11: Percentage of commuting journeys to work by public transport, 2016 ..................... 13 Figure 3.1: Regional breakdown of work commuters’ car and public transport use, 2016 ......... 17 Figure 3.2: Age breakdown of work commuters’ car and public transport use, 2016 .................. 18 Figure 3.3: Gender breakdown of work commuters’ public transport use, 2016 .......................... 18 Figure 3.4: Work commute journey duration in minutes, urban areas, 2016 ................................. 19 Figure 3.5: Work commute journey duration in minutes, rural areas, 2016 ................................... 20 Figure 3.6: Average weekly expenditure on transport, 2015 ............................................................ 21 Figure 3.7: Overall satisfaction of public transport users ................................................................... 22 Figure 3.8: Satisfaction with aspects of public transport by service ................................................ 22 Figure 3.9: Older people’s rating of public transport........................................................................... 23 Figure 4.1: Exchequer capital and current funding expenditure, 1995-2018 ................................ 26 Figure 4.2: Public transport expenditure as percentage of total Exchequer spend, 1998- 2018………………. ...................................................................................................................... 26 Figure 4.3: IMMAC/Rail Safety Programme funding as a proportion of heavy rail capital allocation, 1999-2018 ........................................................................................................... 28 Figure 4.4: Exchequer funding for PSO services (including Rural Transport Programme), 1998-2018 ............................................................................................................................... 29 Figure 4.5: PSO payments, 2010-2018 .................................................................................................. 31 Figure 4.6: Passenger revenue across PSO services, 2010-2018 ..................................................... 31 Figure 4.7: PSO subsidy/passenger revenue and passenger numbers, 2010-2018 ..................... 32 Figure 4.8: DEASP Free Travel funding & Free Travel Scheme recipients, 1998-2018 ............... 33 Figure 4.9: DEASP Free Travel Scheme funding per recipient, 1998-2018 ................................... 34 Figure 4.10: DEASP funding per Free Travel Scheme (€m) by operator, 2013-2018 ..................... 34 Figure 4.11: DEASP Free Travel Scheme passenger journeys by operator, 2013-2018 ................ 35 Figure 4.12: Comparison of road and public transport funding allocations, 1998-2018 ............... 36 Figure 5.1: Bus stops versus population density by county, 2017 ................................................... 39 Figure 5.2: Train stations versus population density by county, 2017 ............................................ 40 Figure 5.3: Bus Éireann urban services operated as planned versus target, 2010-2017 ............. 42 Figure 5.4: GDA bus and heavy rail services operated as planned versus target, 2010-2017 ... 42 Figure 5.5: Intercity bus and rail services operated as planned versus target, 2010-2017 ......... 43 Figure 5.6: Luas services - Percentage of timetabled kilometres delivered, 2010-2018 ............. 43 Figure 6.1: Year-on-year change in public transport passenger numbers, 2011-2018 ................ 46 Figure 6.2: Annual passenger numbers by operator, 2010-2018 ..................................................... 46 Figure 6.3: Bus Éireann passenger numbers in regional cities, 2011-2018 .................................... 47 Figure 6.4: Public transport passenger revenues by operator, 2010-2018 .................................... 48 Figure 6.5: Regional public transport passenger revenues (bus), 2013-2018 ................................ 49 Figure 6.6: Average fare by operator (excluding Free Travel Scheme), 2006-2018 (2006 prices) ........................................................................................................................................ 49 Figure 6.7: Operating cost per passenger, 2006-2018 ....................................................................... 50 Figure 6.8: Cost recovery (fares/operating cost), 2006-2018 ........................................................... 51 Figure 6.9: Bus fleet size, 2010-2018..................................................................................................... 52 Figure 6.10: Average age of bus fleet, 2010-2018 ................................................................................ 53 Figure 6.11: Wheelchair accessibility of bus fleet, 2013-2018 ........................................................... 54 List of Tables Table 2.1: Public transport use by work commuters, 1986-2016 ....................................................... 6 Table 2.2: Dublin Canal Cordon Count, 2010-2018 ............................................................................ 12 Table 2.3: Public transport modal share of commuting journeys by county, 2016 ....................... 14 Table 3.1: Percentage of older people reporting difficulty accessing public transport, 2015 .... 24 Table 4.1: PSO payments 2010–2018 ................................................................................................... 30 Context and questions for consideration This background paper is one of a number of papers that have been prepared by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to inform a public consultation on Ireland’s sustainable mobility policy. The review work arises from a commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government1 to review public transport policy “to ensure services are sustainable into the future and are meeting the needs of a modern economy”. The public consultation is designed to give stakeholders, interested parties and the general public the opportunity to reflect on the information and analysis in the papers, to share their views, and to contribute to the development of a Sustainable Mobility Policy Statement. Sustainable Mobility can be described as linking people and places in a sustainable way by supporting: . comfortable and affordable journeys to and from work, home, school, college, shops and leisure; . travelling by cleaner and greener transport; and . a shift away from the private car to greater use of active travel (walking and cycling) and public transport (e.g. bus, rail, tram). All elements of sustainable mobility (public transport, cycling, walking) are being considered in the policy review. Each background paper includes a number of questions to generate ideas about the extent to which the present approach