WHO RIDES THE BUS: Examining Transit Ridership in Marion County WHO RIDES THE BUS | Page 4

SAVI community trends » WHO RIDES THE BUS: Examining Transit Ridership in Marion County
WHO RIDES THE BUS:
Examining Transit Ridership
in Marion County
more than 75% of total ridership. Work trips
comprise a large proportion of all trips (transit
and otherwise), and commuting riders rely on
dependable service to get to work.
Transportation is not limited to one’s ability to
move from place to place; it is often essential
for an individual or family’s economic and
social mobility. Transit advances opportunity
for economic mobility by providing affordable
transportation to better jobs, more jobs,
and reliable transportation to the jobs riders
already have. It also promotes social mobility
by providing transportation options for people
without vehicles, youth under the driving age,
seniors, and those who cannot or choose not
to drive themselves. Moreover, public transit
also reduces traffic congestion and the negative
environmental impacts of single-occupancy
automobile use, promotes smarter regional
growth, and creates an affordable choice for
making daily trips.
Group D riders live in neighborhoods with
relatively few jobs per acre compared to other
groups, so transit may be necessary to connect
them to more jobs. Conversely, Group C riders
live in areas with many jobs per acre, but are
largely unemployed, indicating there may be a
mismatch of jobs available near them and their
vocational skills. Transit may serve to connect
these riders to better or more appropriate jobs.
If 2021 buildout occurs as planned, the increase
in early morning and late night service could
have a positive impact on second and third
shift workers by providing a more flexible
transit option. Expanded transit service hours
may also open up potential work schedules
for some commuting riders.
This analysis clusters transit ridership into
five groups (A-E) based on data from a
recent ridership survey, which is described
below. Data from surveys are combined
with neighborhood statistics, allowing us to
consider the role of transit and the service
it provides to our community’s diverse
ridership. Approximately every five years,
transit agencies conduct onboard surveys
which typically include questions about
riders’ transit behavior and other information
about themselves [1]. The responses are
used to plan improvements to service and
operations. The Indianapolis Metropolitan
Planning Organization, in partnership with
the Indianapolis Public Transit Corporation
(IndyGo), most recently completed one of
these surveys in October 2016.
… Supports Social Mobility
Riders who cannot or choose not to drive,
especially youth and seniors, use transit
to make social connections and complete
personal errands in the absence of a
personal vehicle. For these riders, such as
those in Group C, transit provides a useful
service to get them to school or work, and
also contributes to their social mobility by
expanding their ability to travel outside their
neighborhoods to visit friends, attend events,
or keep appointments.
Half of all trips made by Group E are for
social purposes. Combined with this group’s
dissimilarity to their home neighborhood
demographics, social mobility is especially
important for these riders to connect with
others.
Transit in Marion County
… Promotes Economic Mobility
More than 70% of Group A riders, and about
half of Group B riders use transit to get to
work. Together, these two groups account for
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