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The Relationship between Transit Ridership and Urban Decentralisation: Insights from Atlanta

Author

Listed:
  • Jeffrey R. Brown

    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Florida State University, Box 2280, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2280, USA, jbrown2@fsu.edu)

  • Gregory L. Thompson

    (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Florida State University, Box 2280, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2280, USA, gthompsn@coss.fsu.edu)

Abstract

Conventional wisdom suggests that the increasing decentralisation of population and employment in US metropolitan areas is to blame for declining public transit mode shares and deteriorating system productivity. Proponents of this view assert that transit performs best when it connects suburbs to central business districts in more centralised urban environments. Our time-series analysis of transit patronage in Atlanta suggests that the previously reported secular decline in transit patronage is attributable to employment decentralisation outside the MARTA service area but that this can be reduced if the transit system makes decentralising employment reachable.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeffrey R. Brown & Gregory L. Thompson, 2008. "The Relationship between Transit Ridership and Urban Decentralisation: Insights from Atlanta," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 45(5-6), pages 1119-1139, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:45:y:2008:i:5-6:p:1119-1139
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098008089856
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Taylor, Brian D., 1991. "Unjust Equity: An Examination of California's Transportation Development Act," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt7h13774d, University of California Transportation Center.
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    Cited by:

    1. Simon Berrebi & Sanskruti Joshi & Kari E Watkins, 2020. "On Ridership and Frequency," Papers 2002.02493, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2021.
    2. Chakour, Vincent & Eluru, Naveen, 2016. "Examining the influence of stop level infrastructure and built environment on bus ridership in Montreal," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 205-217.
    3. Hu, Lingqian & Schneider, Robert J., 2017. "Different ways to get to the same workplace: How does workplace location relate to commuting by different income groups?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 106-115.
    4. Moniruzzaman, Md & Páez, Antonio, 2012. "Accessibility to transit, by transit, and mode share: application of a logistic model with spatial filters," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 198-205.
    5. Yadi Zhu & Feng Chen & Zijia Wang & Jin Deng, 2019. "Spatio-temporal analysis of rail station ridership determinants in the built environment," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 2269-2289, December.

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