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COTA On-Board Survey. David Schmitt, AICP December 3 rd , 2008. Central Ohio Transit Authority. Ohio’s 3 rd largest transit service provider Formed in 1974 by Franklin County and 11 suburban cities ~55,000+ average weekday boardings 65 routes ~300 fleet size
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COTA On-Board Survey David Schmitt, AICP December 3rd, 2008
Central Ohio Transit Authority • Ohio’s 3rd largest transit service provider • Formed in 1974 by Franklin County and 11 suburban cities • ~55,000+ average weekday boardings • 65 routes • ~300 fleet size • 0.25% sales tax levy passed in November 2006
Motivations for On-Board Survey • Last survey conducted in 1993 • Gain better understanding of current ridership & travel patterns • Assist in planning forthcoming service increases
Survey Activities • Efforts go beyond typical survey to help avoid expansion bias • On-board survey – 10% sample for each route • Vehicle counts at park-ride lots • Boarding counts by under 16, students, other for survey routes • Automated passenger counts (APCs) for non-surveyed routes
On-Board Survey • Two-sided handout • Captures “trip” information • Distributed to every rider 16 years or older • Responses encouraged before rider alights • Additional mail back form • Captures “tour” information • Distributed to riders who complete survey
Example showing why ancillary counts are needed Survey Results Revised Expansion Uniform Expansion Park-ride lot count = 15 cars
Pilot Survey Highlights • Inconsistencies between trip and tour surveys (40% were inconsistent or had insufficient information) • Misinterpretations due to wording of questions or answers • Some riders are apparently highly-skilled in using COTA’s services • Transfer ride favored over one-seat ride to avoid long wait • Analyzed walking and parking-access distances