Transit ridership 2017 (Pittsburgh, Oakland: tax, bus, airport)

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by pittsburghaccuweather

Not really surprising. Companies are offering a lot more work remote options as well as incentives such as discounted parking or free parking at their building. Couple that with rideshare options and downtown living you don’t need to wait on a bus or rail anymore.

Working remote is a big hit with the older end of the millennial that can live in the suburbs and work in their living room.

The wave of the future is self driving vehicles and ride share. More options and competition is a good thing.

I think there's basically three different trends here.

1. Mass transit in most metros has been traditionally disproportionately used by the poor. Increasing gentrification or just a general decline into further blight of low income neighborhoods results in less poor people in the most transit-accessible areas. All things considered, this results in less people taking transit.

2. Young professionals don't so much support public transit as they prefer to not drive if possible. As you note, working from home and walking (e.g., downtown living) eat into transit share. So does biking, which you did not mention.

3. Uber does cut into non-peak transit use. Everything from random airport trips to drunkenly returning home from a night on the town to random "neighborhood to neighborhood" trips that are not really doable by transit without wasting a lot of time.

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I think there's basically three different trends here.

1. Mass Transit in most metros has been traditionally disproportionately used by the poor. Increasing gentrification or just a general decline into further blight of low income neighborhoods results in less poor people in the most transit-accessible areas. All things considered, this results in less people taking transit.

2. Young professionals don't so much support public transit as they prefer to not drive if possible. As you note, working from home and walking (e.g., downtown living) eat into transit share. So does biking, which you did not mention.

3. Uber does cut into non-peak transit use. Everything from random airport trips to drunkenly returning home from a night on the town to random "neighborhood to neighborhood" trips that are not really doable by transit without wasting a lot of time.

Uber/Lyft are definitely cutting into off-peak transit use. Even the MTA is seeing declines in transit usage, thanks to rideshare services.

[PghYinzer]

Ancedotally, my company is actually encouraging less WFH as we have noticed it causes collaboration issues. There is just something about talking out issues in an office that is not the same over the phone.

As posted above the T has been a mess but probably not in the first three months of this year, but perhaps with all of the normal winter issues that occur on the T line, people have just switched over to the bus. It would help to see where the increases are happening. Are the increases in bus transit occurring along T lines, or perhaps they are occurring along other routes? Growth in ridership along other bus routes could signal something like more people living in the East End, which doesn’t have a T line, and less people commuting to work downtown in the aging suburbs like Bethel Park and Castle Shannon.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by gladhands

Uber/Lyft are definitely cutting into off-peak transit use. Even the MTA is seeing declines in transit usage, thanks to rideshare services.

Yup. The good news is rideshare (even after self-driving cars are perfected) will never supplant rush-hour demand into CBDs and university districts. Thus even though mass transit will shrink overall, it's going to focus on the high-utilization lines during peak travel times, meaning the farebox recovery should rise over time.

[pittsburghaccuweather]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Drilling down, Pittsburgh's bus ridership was up by 0.41%, but this was offset in a decline in T ridership by 2.14%.

So people outside of the golden triangle aren’t taking the T to the north shore in great numbers as everyone hoped? That was a lot of money to drill a tunnel under the river and showing a decrease in ridership.

Originally Posted by eschaton

I think there's basically three different trends here.

1. Mass transit in most metros has been traditionally disproportionately used by the poor. Increasing gentrification or just a general decline into further blight of low income neighborhoods results in less poor people in the most transit-accessible areas. All things considered, this results in less people taking transit.

2. Young professionals don't so much support public transit as they prefer to not drive if possible. As you note, working from home and walking (e.g., downtown living) eat into transit share. So does biking, which you did not mention.

3. Uber does cut into non-peak transit use. Everything from random airport trips to drunkenly returning home from a night on the town to random "neighborhood to neighborhood" trips that are not really doable by transit without wasting a lot of time.

You bring up a good point. How could I forget the golden hiways of bike lanes.

The mass transit system is becoming a dinosaur. The proof is in declining numbers. So these new folks that have money to buy in the east end areas probably own a car and have money. I’m sure a good number of these new folks aren’t riding the bus. They probably prefer to drive and can afford parking. Even if they don’t want to pay for parking they can go door to door with ride share. Why would you wait for a bus when u can afford the parking rates or ride share? The bus is cheap but takes a long time and is antiquated. These same folks are probably using Uber or Lyft for a night on the town they aren’t riding buses.

So we have a decrease in transit ridership. What is the purpose then of spending millions for another east end line? Is the demand there? Sure this is a sexy thing to hang your hat on if you are politician, but it’s it really needed? You said yourself the younger folks don’t take transit or support it. I’d love to see the actual numbers or is this to look good politically?

This rapid bus line is obsolete. Cleveland finished theirs 10 years ago. Their mass transit is rated well and you see ridership numbers. Ride share and self driving cars are the future.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Drilling down, Pittsburgh's bus ridership was up by 0.41%, but this was offset in a decline in T ridership by 2.14%.

Nice to see more people at least taking the bus in the area, which definitely seems to be bucking the national trend. The more who utilize transit, the better off everyone will be.

[pittsburghaccuweather]

I have my own opinions as to why they don’t stop in this neighborhood. But here is another good example of ignoring investment to neighborhoods with infrastructure already in place. I think this rail line and the small neighborhood business district is better than anything in east end areas. Yet this neighborhood isn’t on the radar for development. It’s like it doesn’t even exist. Why? Because the mayor only cares about the east end. Light rail going through a densely packed walkable neighborhood not receiving investment and no stops to pick people up. It amazes me. Companies like amazon want livable neighborhoods like this for their employees no?

What about the west busway? No investment in Sheridan or Elliot either. It’s like those neighborhoods don’t exist.

Allentown bypass: Residents aren't happy light-rail vehicles don't stop in their neighborhood | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[speagles84]

Originally Posted by pittsburghaccuweather

So people outside of the golden triangle aren’t taking the T to the north shore in great numbers as everyone hoped? That was a lot of money to drill a tunnel under the river and showing a decrease in ridership.



You bring up a good point. How could I forget the golden hiways of bike lanes.

The mass transit system is becoming a dinosaur. The proof is in declining numbers. So these new folks that have money to buy in the east end areas probably own a car and have money. I’m sure a good number of these new folks aren’t riding the bus. They probably prefer to drive and can afford parking. Even if they don’t want to pay for parking they can go door to door with ride share. Why would you wait for a bus when u can afford the parking rates or ride share? The bus is cheap but takes a long time and is antiquated. These same folks are probably using Uber or Lyft for a night on the town they aren’t riding buses.

So we have a decrease in transit ridership. What is the purpose then of spending millions for another east end line? Is the demand there? Sure this is a sexy thing to hang your hat on if you are politician, but it’s it really needed? You said yourself the younger folks don’t take transit or support it. I’d love to see the actual numbers or is this to look good politically?

This rapid bus line is obsolete. Cleveland finished theirs 10 years ago. Their mass transit is rated well and you see ridership numbers. Ride share and self driving cars are the future.

Ohio transit is a dumpster fire. Trends show that people hate Ohio and the people from them. They are clearly the most miserable people on the planet. Makes sense why they have nothing better to do than spend their life on the internet. I mean I could see it, I would have such a difficult time living in Ohio, particularly Columbus. With no rail transit there I would do the same thing.

[_Buster]

wow shocker he was praising Ohio transit. And the Cleveland BRT??? MUCH slower than Pittsburgh's busways, even though its much newer. and he must have missed the post in which I revived this thread, and clearly showed Cleveland's transit numbers down by a massive 15%. and that is down from an already big crash in ridership numbers, they had in 2017. Meanwhile Pgh's numbers are only down very slightly, even during times when there have been large system outages.

[pittsburghaccuweather]

Originally Posted by speagles84

Ohio transit is a dumpster fire. Trends show that people hate Ohio and the people from them. They are clearly the most miserable people on the planet. Makes sense why they have nothing better to do than spend their life on the internet. I mean I could see it, I would have such a difficult time living in Ohio, particularly Columbus. With no rail transit there I would do the same thing.

Originally Posted by _Buster

wow shocker he was praising Ohio transit. And the Cleveland BRT??? MUCH slower than Pittsburgh's busways, even though its much newer. and he must have missed the post in which I revived this thread, and clearly showed Cleveland's transit numbers down by a massive 15%. and that is down from an already big crash in ridership numbers, they had in 2017. Meanwhile Pgh's numbers are only down very slightly, even during times when there have been large system outages.

I’m not sure what your Ohio complex is, but here it is. Your mayor and your own knight in shining armor. He was on the news with his negative attitude about the public transportation service in Pittsburgh. All I did was point out ride share is the future. You should be mad at him. It looks like he’s already waving the white flag and making excuses when we don’t get amazon.

https://www.wtae.com/article/pittsbu...gions/22751768