Jessie Huang CEP Class of 2013 Abstract Get on the Bus!

A research project on public transit demand factors and ways to increase bus ridership. Bellevue, a satellite city of Seattle, is characterized by its super blocks and congested traffic. Although it also serves as a transit hub connecting much of the Puget Sound region from Issaquah to Renton, Bellevue remains highly auto-oriented and not easily walkable. As part of the citys attempt to become more sustainable, my project examines the factors affecting public transit demand in Bellevue and identifies ways to raise bus ridership in the city as an effort to help reduce traffic. To do this, I reviewed Bellevues existing Transportation Management Program, and examined data from travel time analysis and surveys evaluating public perceptions of and expectations for Bellevues transit system. I also researched ways to increase bus ridership by looking at various transit incentive programs and ideas from other cities. My suggestions, along with a literature review and data analyses from the surveys, will be incorporated into a final comprehensive report and submitted to the citys transportation department. Because of my interests in urban sustainable development and behavioral change, I hope my project will shed new light on what Bellevue can do to encourage the use of public transit in Bellevue.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

INTRAODUCTION CONTEXT Why Public Transit? Why Bellevue How is this project academically related? Introduction to Bellevue, WA LITERATURE REVIEW Researchable questions Factors of public transit demand Theories of Behavior Change METHODOLOGY FINDINGS Bellevue Transit Improvement Survey Bellevue Travel Time Analysis Making Transit Fun! SUGGESTIONS CONCLUSION/REFLECTION BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDIX

Context Why public transit? Economy recovery and population growth in the post-war 1950s accelerated the expansion in many American cities. Rapid urbanization during this period created a surge in car sales, slowly building up the automobile culture that would later dominate the society and radically reshape

cities functions and landscape. Cars have greatly improved accessibility to different places and transformed peoples mobile pattern. However, the convenience of driving has certainly paid its price by bringing traffic congestion, noise, and climatic pollutions that have had great impact on the quality of life (Urbanized). The detrimental impact of automobile and growing concerns for sustainability have made clear that public transit is perhaps the most viable solution to cure all the side effects of driving. Yet, there are benefits that only public transportation is able to produce. A recent study done by the American Public Transportation Association points out the substantial financial benefit of riding public transit. An individual, according to the report, can save up to $10,000 annually when commuting by public transportation. This estimation comes from the total spending on car insurance, gasoline, and parking (EPA). With the emergence of various environmental issues brought forth by urban development, there has been a growing concern for sustainability over the past few years, both in the public and private realms. The need to balance environmental health and human activities in the metropolises make public transit the most ideal travel mode. Why Bellevue? With its superblocks and booming high rises forming the citys streetscape, Bellevues scale does not make it a very walkable environment. This characteristic not only makes driving the ideal mode to travel in Bellevue, but greatly reduces personal mobility, namely, the freedom and ability to travel from one place to another. Because of my interest in urban sustainable development and behavior change, I wanted to create a project unique from most of the transit studies that mainly revolves around the built structures and logic behind public transportation. Moreover, as resident of Bellevue, my hope was to complete a project holistic enough that will potentially help transform my community. How is this academically related? Last summer I had the honor to intern at EPA Region 10, where I helped develop a Coffee Cup Campaign, an environmental campaign aimed at raising the employees environmental awareness on paper cups and waste diversion. From branding and marketing for the campaign to surveying public attitude on related issues, I eventually developed an interest in peoples perceptions and the motivations behind their decisions.

Through what mechanisms are we able to influence public perceptions and thus induce proenvironmental behavior is a major challenge in a national trend of promoting sustainability. The same concept also applies to a wide spectrum of issues, and this includes public transit. How to make public transportation an appealing and viable travel alternative in auto-oriented regions is a topic that many places have been exploring.

Introduction to Bellevue

The scope of this project focuses primarily on the City of Bellevue, the fifth most populous city in Washington. Located just east of Lake Washington and spans more than 30 square miles to Lake Sammamish, Bellevue is a thriving city with blooming skyscrapers and a diversity of industries and local entrepreneurships. According to U.S. census data, population in Bellevue reached 122,363 in 2010 with more than 40% of it being diverse ethnicity groups. A majority of the local residents are highly educated. The wide range of industries and the public transit network in Bellevue has helped shape the city into a Central Business District and a major hub connecting the greater Puget Sound. A recent employment report published by the Puget Sound Regional Council shows Bellevue as the second highest employment concentrated city in King county. 122,635 covered employment was estimated alone within the city limits of Bellevue. High-tech jobs constitutes 24% of the total, with Boeing, Microsoft, Paccar being the major companies that headquartered in Bellevue (PSRC 2011 Covered Employment Estimates/ Puget Sound Business Journal 2012). In the next 20 years, population is projected to increase by 20,200

while local job opportunities is expected to go up by 40,000 (Economic data for inventors, City of Bellevue). The geographical location, diverse demographics, and employment concentration in Bellevue contribute to a vibrant community. However, along comes the many challenges cause by rapid economic growth. The most pronounced change is perhaps traffic congestion during peak hours, when lines of cars inhabit major arterials and streets, making the environment even more intimidating for pedestrians and cyclists. Researchable Questions What explains public transit demand? And in what ways do they affect bus ridership? Given the different variables of bus ridership, what can planners or transit agencies do to bring up patronage? What are some mechanisms for inducing attitudinal and behavioral change?

Literature Review This section provides an overview on the research focus of this project factors that affect public transit demand and potential strategies to increase ridership. While it is heavily focused on transit studies and relevant information, it also examines behavior change and phenomena that intertwine with it. Along with the drivers for different travel patters, the theories behind inducing environmentally responsible behavior and American consumerism on automobiles are two other components incorporated in this section. Factors of Public Transit Demand Countless factors have been identified as influences of individuals perceptions of public transit and their decisions in choosing a travel mode. Studies have shown personal mobility, the freedom of point-to-point travel, as major influence. Whatever is capable of maximizing the freedom to travel efficiently and effectively is thus the ultimate goal of frequent commuters. To increase personal mobility, many transit researchers have studied transit infrastructure and network connectivity, hoping to increase patronage through solely concentrating on the built form of public transit. Recent reports have, nonetheless, showed a divergent direction in studying public transit demand. Instead of researching on the relationship between transit ridership and infrastructure, the trend has shifted to studying individuals perceptions of public transit and how

that plays into means of travel. Despite their different approaches, these studies all share an identical vision and objective, that is, to bring up transit ridership by improving their service. Frequency & Headway When it comes to a major difference between driving and riding buses, the unavoidable wait time is perhaps the top concern and what deter people from using public transportation. In fact, many research have identified headways as the foremost contributor to commuters dissatisfaction with public transit (Walker 2011; Iseki et al., 2011). For one, time spent on waiting and traveling to a bus stop generally feels longer than the in-vehicle travel time. An individuals perceived wait time and the accompanied anxiety can exaggerate significantly as wait time increases. McCord et al. investigates the correlation between the perceived wait and the actual wait time (2006) by surveying bus passengers at the Ohio State University. A linear regression model was run to test their hypothesis. While the result reveal that the headway has a positive influence on the expected wait time, it does not support that the expectation increases at an identical rate after a certain time range. Moreover, it is important to note that walking has an exaggerated effect. The longer the walk is, the greater the perceived time. Despite the size of the sampling pool of this research, it does, however, give an overall idea on commuters point of view and information that can be incorporated into more complex models. Another similar study conducted by Iseki et al., Thinking outside the Bus, provides a comprehensive foundation on the correlation between commuters perception and public transit ridership. The study begins by examining the discrepancy between increasing subsidies and low ridership. Recent transportation planning has sought to expand transit services in addressing social and environmental challenges. However, such approach has failed to get people on the bus, misspending subsidies that were expected to produce the opposite effect. The most effective solution, as researchers point out, is to make waiting and walking time less burdensome rather than raising the speed alone. In fact, there are a variety of strategies that can make travel time more worthy and useful to the commuters, including improving the design of a stop/station or increase bus operations. Prior to proposing any changes to the system, it is necessary to understand the expectations of bus riders, what aspects they consider the most important in enhancing their entire travel experience. Safety

Aside from riding the bus, a daily commute might also include walking, waiting, and transferring. As previously noted, the overall travel journey relies on the experience in each segment insofar that even neighborhood walkability can dissuade one from using a public transportation. While transit agencies tend to focus on improving the concrete aspects of a transit system (i.e. bus stop design), the surveys conducted in California cities nonetheless suggest riders priorities are otherwise (Iseki et al, 2010). Public perception on transit travel differs greatly from that of planners or transit managers. For many commuters, personal security, being a basic need of all human beings, are valued more than any other expectation that one might have for transit service. Service quality, accessibility to direct service, or the amenities of a bus stop/station may not be significantly important as it is for transit agencies. Safety at night, according to the surveys, appears to be the most significant aspect of transit travel, and yet the least satisfied. Other research that focuses on the ridership effect of safety, whether on or out-of-vehicle, serves as a determinant for travel mode. In fact, non-commuters feel less secured toward public transit than do frequent users, which it makes public transit less appealing than private vehicles (Wallace et al., 2011). The common dissatisfaction with public transit, according to one study, stems from the fear of crime as well as the homeless groups and gangs that frequent or live near bus stops. Stereotypes as well as past experience with crime amplify the fear of victimization, deteriorating the quality of services that transit agencies strive to provide (McCray et al., 2011). When it comes to safety of public transit, safety awareness is indeed an influential factor that should not be overlooked. However, the amenities of transit facilities, too, can affect the level of personal security through lighting, cleanliness, and the presence of security guards. Most surveys pointed low level of safety to waiting at night and insufficient lighting (McCray et al., 2011). Transit users, in particular females, feel more insecure than males do, especially when waiting alone or see suspicious people around. Even though concerns for personal safety have been raised for public transit, Iseki et al. nonetheless, consider safety as the least prioritized area for improvement. Personal safety, as one of the primary bases for service satisfaction, can sometimes lie complete outside the control of transit agencies (Iseki et al., 2011). Consequently, to provide more reliable services, improvements cannot be restrictedly addressed on either the built environments or public understanding of safety.

Real-time bus information Technology advancement has brought immense convenience to our lives, of which many transit providers have taken advantage to enhance their performance. Many cities across the U.S. have employed the real-time bus information system, a cost-effective way to maximize personal mobility by offering first-hand information for commuters. GPS devices are installed on different routes of buses, keeping track of their locations en route and the estimated time to the proceeding destination. Because such up-to-date information is made available via public display signs as well as smart phones, travelers are able to make last-minute changes to their plan and better use of their time (Watkins et al., 2011). Based on the real-time bus information, they can choose between other travel modes, an alternative bus route, or switching to different an activity while waiting for the next bus. As noted above, out-of-vehicle travel experience is the most tedious fragment of a trip, and can often times deter the public from taking the bus. Nonetheless, with the provision of such technology, freedom to travel and the perception of public transit can be greatly improved. A10-year research was conducted from January 2002 in Chicago in hopes to measure the effectiveness of traveler transit information system on bus ridership (Tang and Thakuriah, 2012). A similar analysis was also completed in King County, Washington in 2011 to test the mobile application OneBusAway on affecting personal mobility (Watkins et al.). Although both reports prove the success of the information system, the findings of Tang and Thakurah suggest a small gain in bus ridership when other factors are controlled. Admitted by the researchers, the findings overlook the lack of public outreach, which, in the long-run, would yield great benefit not only for the transit companies, but the general welfare as well. Basing on the pre-established studies, Watkins et al. use a different approach through focusing on a real-time bus information application on mobile devices. The results, although similar, shows insightful implication on perceived and measure wait time. From interviews with those who use and do not use the application, Watkins et al. conclude that the real-time information is capable of shortening the perceived wait time significantly. Additionally, the mobile application has proven to be more effective than the traditional public signage since it increases users flexibility to change their travel plan by offering them more control.

Gasoline Price

In recent years, the world has witnessed events of oil price fluctuations along with their impact on public policies and individuals lifestyles. In response to this phenomenon, many have adapted different lifestyles trying to save their wallets. The most conspicuous difference is perhaps the shift in travel mode. The rise of oil fuel prices has not only boosted the sales of hybrid and electric cars, but also driven people to start using public transportations. Evidently, as most research suggest, the number of patronage of public transit swings along fuel prices, which can be explained by the basic supply-demand theory: when prices rise, demands decline, and vise versa (Chen et al., 2010; Curry and Phung, 2008). As matter of fact, during the oil crisis in 2006, public transit ridership reached its peak since the 19050s. Previous empirical analyses have quantified this growth relationship transit ridership: For10% increase in gas prices, U.S. transit demand has increased by around 1.2% (Curry and Phung, 2008). Moreover, Chen et al., also note that the gas prices contribute mainly to short-term effect. Mainly the growth in ridership manifests itself most distinctively with rises in gas cost; the level of impact may not be as significant were there a decline in prices. However the majority of evidence has pointed out the effect of fuel prices on public transit demand, the drivers for increase ridership may not be as simple as they appear. Apart from fuel prices, Households income as well as car ownership also account for the adaptation in mobile style. In other words, socioeconomic status plays a key role in determining travel modes (Chen et al., 2010). The relationship between socioeconomic status and public transit demand will be discussed further.

Transit Fare In a free market, prices are indisputably a major influence on consumer preferences. Likewise, as a demand-driven service, public transit would not be able to operate and profit without meeting the needs of their customers. Aimed to attract more riders, agencies have come up with a variety of strategies in order to attract more passengers. Monetary incentives, has perhaps, become the most powerful marketing tactic in encouraging the use of public transportations. In fact, a few educational institutions have partnered with local transit agencies, providing unlimited bus access for their faculty and students for free, or at a discounted rate. Examples such as BruinGo pass of the University of California at Los Angeles and U-Pass of the University of Washington. The common objectives of these incentive programs aims to: (1)

increase bus ridership to campus, (2) reduce vehicle trips to campus, and (3) reduce parking demand on campus (Brown et al., 2003). Based on the evaluation conducted by Brown et al., financial incentives are able to attract more riders, leading to a substantial increase raised bus patronage, a decline in auto users, as well as parking accommodations. Another similar program, Dump the Pump, was designed to motivate employees at the UCLA to switch to public transit by offering a free transit pass for a limited of time and a discounted pass after the promotion. The program did show an increase in ridership, especially from the previous auto-drivers. However, it is shown that the DtP program, although successful in driving a behavior change, the overall effect was brief and many individuals returned to their previous travel mode. According to the analysis, individuals with different demographic profiles, working parents, in particular, are less likely to change their travel habit regardless of the incentives and available alternatives (Zhou and Schweitzer, 2011). Again, choice of transportation involves complex reasons that are associated with not only the built environment factors, but individuals socioeconomic statuses.

Parking Facilities In an effort to improve transit accessibility and alleviate traffic congestion, many cities have adopted bus-based Park and Rides as another travel alternative for commuters, especially for whom driving is the preferred travel mode. To some level, it is an attempt to entice drivers to use public transportation by widening their option (Meek, Ison, Enoch, 2008), and for those who are transit-dependent or need to make multiple transfers in their commute, Park and Ride facilities provide superior connectivity as well as direct asses for these individuals to easily abridge segments of their journey (Meek, Ison, Enoch, 2008; Karamachev and Reeven, 2011). In addition to enhancing public transit service, P&R, as a matter of fact, exerts positive influence on many aspects of urban development, including traffic management, economic, and environmental benefits. With population and car ownership booming in most urban areas, there came a demand for road expansion and infrastructure renovation. In a recent evaluative study on the roles of P&R, the researchers examine the development and impact of this interconnecting transportation facility in the U.K.. The apparent benefits include increased parking spaces, easy access to public transit and ridesharing services (Meek, Ison, Enoch, 2008), but the more in-depth effects originate from P&Rs influence on urban core development. For one, locating on the edge of a

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cities, P&R facilities help reduce traffic inflow to major activity centers by making parking available and easier to ride a public transportation. While the sum for constructing a parking garage in an urban core is substantial, as it requires expenditure on purchasing a lot and laying pavement, building P&R stations near core areas essentially bring economic benefits for the city to attract tourists and workers. In addition to P&R being a cost-saving strategy to encourage the use of public transportation, numerous studies have also highlighted their environmental advantages. For example, provision of parking spaces and the sites being a transit hub are incentives to motivate discretionary drivers to ride the buses. The transition from private to public travel mode reduces the overall use of automobiles, which abates GHG emissions and other climatic pollutions. Moreover, from an urban areas perspective, increased parking availability at P&R facilities entails no need for road and street parking expansion, creating additional public space for pedestrians and cyclists (Meek, Ison, Enoch, 2008). With all the findings focusing on the positive aspects of P&Rs, many scholars have nonetheless warned against the counter effect of these facilities. They consider P&R a potential disincentive to induce travel behavior change since it raises commuters total travel mileage, which fundamentally speaking, undermines the environmental objective that they were expected to achieve (Meek, Ison, Enoch, 2008). Theories of Behavior Change Behavior change has long been a subject of studies for public health. However, the emergency of climate change and related ecological problems has shifted the attention on behavior change toward fostering a pro-environmental lifestyle. Whether it is promoting a healthy lifestyle or encouraging environmentally friendly behaviors, the ultimate end is to influence an individuals attitude and actions. The objective may appear dissimilar, but the theories behind are essentially identical. From personality, family background, to society, drivers for behavioral change originate in different levels. An individuals attitude toward certain subject depends heavily on how information is processed psychologically, and this involves both biological and external factors. Theory of Planned Behavior, according to Azjen, is defined as an individuals intention to perform a given behavior, and the word intention here are indicators of how much of an effort [people] are planning to exert in order to perform the behavior (Ajzen, 1991). The 11

performance of an action, as a result, is contingent upon how hard one tries. Furthermore, Ajzen points out the so-called behavior control, a persons resources and abilities, also have determining effects ones ability to initiate an action. Motivations, along with behavior control, are two intertwining factors that are both able to affect conducts and also restrict the degree to which one influences the performance of a behavior (Ajzen, 1991). In addition to intentions and non-motivational factors, another significant element in the Theory of Planned Behavior is the perceived behavior control, which is largely parallel to the ideas of perceived self-efficacy. Many psychological research have identified confidence as one important driver for behavior. To illustrate, when two individuals, who are equally motivated, are trying to acquire a new skill, the person who is more self-assured has a higher chance to eventually master that skill than the one who has doubts in him/herself. Again, perceptions and behavior stemmed from more than dispositions or the surroundings. The agent of an action, too, has considerable influence on them. With the fundamental postulations on behaviors, psychologists were enabled develop theories in predicting behaviors as well as the drivers behind them. In journal Theory of Planned Behavior, Azjen asserts three major variables that give rise to intentions: attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control. Attitude is how much a person views a certain behavior as favorable or unfavorable whereas subjective norms is the social pressure whether to initiate an action or not. The last term, perceived behavior control, refers to how difficult it is to perform a behavior based on past experience [and] anticipated impediments and obstacles (Azjen, 1991). Correspondingly, the level of intention increases when an action is considered favorable, less obligatory, and can be completed with ease. However, the applicability and level of importance between these determinants of intention vary from behaviors and circumstances. While the above variables can be applied to predict motivations, what explains peoples behaviors primarily, are their personal opinions or knowledge on a certain behavior. Since beliefs are generally associated with various aspects (i.e. objects, characteristics, and activities), personal beliefs decide an individuals attitude. Attitude toward a behavior is therefore linked to beliefs in anticipated outcome or the effort needed to perform that particular behavior. This explains why individuals prefer to perform actions that they believe will lead to a favorable outcome and vice versa. Additionally, perceptions and attitude can also be affected by past experience, peer-pressure, or personal feelings of moral obligation or responsibility to perform, or refuse to perform, a certain behavior (Gorsuch & Ortberg, 1983; Pomazal & Jac- card, 1976;

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Schwartz & Tessler, 1972). Human perceptions and behavior has been a complex, yet fascinating subject for researchers of a wide range fields. Motivations behind mankinds conduct involve not only the apparent external factors, but the internal complexity that causes intermediate impact on performance of the behavior. To dig more into the subject, Azjen continues his study on behavior change by incorporating affect and evaluation into the analysis. Any general reaction that could be located along a dimension of favorability from negative to positive was considered an indication of attitude. Similar to beliefs, attitudes can also be distinguished into categories: affective and evaluative. The fist category focuses on feelings linked to performing an activity while later judgment of the pros and cons of that activity (Azjen, 1991). Generally speaking, affects can be positive or negative feelings or simply physical senses (i.e. hot and cold); evaluation is more of calculating the potential gains or loss incurred by performing a particular behavior. Both are equally important in studying beliefs and behavior. However, human beings affective nature has been further examined and developed into a theoretical framework in explaining behaviors. Many discussions are inclined to draw distinctions between feelings and affects, as researchers have been exploring their correlations with behaviors. In her book, The Transmission of Affect, Dr. Teresa Brennan offers her explanations on these two terms: Feelings are sensory states produced by thought, while interruptive thoughts are produced by affects. Feelings are thoughtful, and affects are thoughtless (Teresa Brennan, The Transmission of Affect, 2004). Because the concept of affect is so abstract, one cannot fully describe them verbally, but to personally experience them. Silvan Tomkins, a leading scholar who presented the affect theory maintains that human behaviors are largely governed by affects and emotions, which ultimately mold the interrelated processes of perception, imagination, memory storage and retrieval, and consciousness (McGroarty, 2004). Methodology To gain a basic understanding of public transit and ridership effect of different variables, I first conducted a literature review on factors that affect transit demand, looking at journal articles that focus on transit demand with public perceptions, public policies, and infrastructure. During this vigorous research process, I was able to extract insightful information and began to draw connections to drivers for various travel patterns. Furthermore, as my interests revolve 13

around behavior change, I also researched on theories of behavioral change. There are countless theories on motivations and behaviors; however, I chose to focus on the relationship between human affects and motivations, as these two topics are most relevant to social marketing for proenvironmental behaviors. Studying topics on behavior change was a great platform for me to come up with ideas that might have the potential of raising bus ridership. Essentially, The goal for researching behavior change was to use the theories to develop a strategy to motivate people to commute by bus in Bellevue. However, employing the affect theory as a tool to induce behavior change posed limitations to increasing bus ridership. First of all, affects cannot be quantified fully as they are inherently subjective. Further, it is unlikely to assess the degree of perceptional and behavioral change by solely looking at the publics feelings toward public transportation. Under the influence of various social-marketing mechanisms, an individual might eventually become more environmentally conscious, but his/her lifestyle may not reflect the shift in beliefs and actions. Hoping to know more about Bellevues public transit system and its future plans, I collaborated with two other volunteers at Bellevues transportation department and conducted a travel time analysis. A travel time analysis is a comparison of the travel time and costs between driving and riding buses from an activity center to a major neighborhood in Bellevue. Even though the data is mostly quantitative, the numbers however tells the mobility patterns in the city. For instance, traveling by bus in Bellevue often times require a long walk to a bus stop, making public transit even more inefficient that it already is to driving. Other patterns that the analysis implies include the infrequent bus service during off-peak periods and speed of service. In addition to travel time analysis, I examined Bellevues Transit Improvement Survey, a report concluding public perceptions of and expectations for the citys transit service. A summary of the survey results was incorporated into this report, in hopes to unveil information useful for developing ways to increase awareness as well as the use of public transportation. As I was researching ways to bring up bus ridership, I came across the book Making Transit Fun: How to Entice Motorists from Their Cars by Darrin Nordahl. This book takes a alternative approach in looking at the challenges of public transit in many American cities, giving examples of cities that have successfully raised bus ridership using distinctive strategies. The examples provided in book offered me clearer directions on research case studies. By examining approaches that different places have explored, I was able to draw connections and

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discuss the weaknesses and strengths that these approaches might have were they applied in Bellevue. The purpose of this study, a research-based study, is to look at public transit demand and various ways to increase it and later apply the findings to the city of Bellevue. Compiled with all the research findings and suggestions, this written report is the final product of my project, which will later be submitted to Bellevues transportation department.

Findings Transit Improvement Results To provide better transit services for the community, the City of Bellevue conducted a Transit Improvement Survey in 2012 in an effort to incorporate public perception and vision into the planning process. Various outreach events were held to reach out to a great diversity of people reside or work in Bellevue. While the planners and transit agencies have strived to serve all members in the community, it is nonetheless impossible to fully satisfy everyones expectations since each individual has different interests and needs. The survey questionnaires were first structure based on how often one uses the transit in Bellevue (i.e. frequent users, former user, and those who never used transit) and were further organized according to the participants residency as well as purpose of commute. A total of 4,252 people participated in the survey, of which 52.7% reported as current users, 16.1% as former users, and remaining 31.2% are those who have never used transit in Bellevue. A general travel profile was generated from the surveys. This include the three most visited activity center by the participants: Downtown Seattle (78%), Downtown Bellevue (64%), and the University District (31%). One in ten bus riders in Bellevue does not have access to a car, and nearly 90% of them are frequent transit users. Bellevue residents tend to drive more than those of other municipalities. Below is a short summary of the major requested improvement from the survey: Top two priority of service quality: 1. 2. 3. Speed of service Frequency of weekday service On-time service (over half of workers and students reported that they have been late for class, meeting, and etc. due to late buses)

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Top three areas for the citys future transit investments: 1. 2. Roadway and traffic signal infrastructure Real-time bus information system installation at major stops

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Determinants of transit demand can be overwhelmingly complex since it involves factors that expand from the environments to an individuals demographic status. Researchers have identified a
Figure 1. "Transit Travelers' Hierarchy of Preferences"

great deal of variables that affect ones travel mode preferences,

examining potential ways to induce behavior change. Yet, the subject is way too complex to only be judged upon factors that pose direct impact on. For instance, household size, population density, and socioeconomic status can also influence public transit demand. A person with lower income or inability to operate a car is mostly transit-depend in contrast to one who makes much more salary and drives a SUV. Student populations contribute to a higher bus ridership due to their financial circumstances. Because of the demographic information that places distinctive priorities in meeting ones needs, it would perhaps be beneficial to combine the discussion with the Maslow Abraham hierarchy of needs.

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Figure 2. Maslow's pyramid of needs Human motivation, as claimed by Maslow Abraham, is ranked according to the level of satisfaction, which basically states that when lower level of needs are not met, it will be unnecessary to fulfill the higher ones. In other words, it would be challenging aiming for the higher needs were the basic drives are not achieved (Melloul and Collin, 2001). Maslows hierarchy of human needs has been widely applied to explain various cases that concerned with human-centered development. While the objective of this project aims to research the factors that influence public transit demand, let us also take this theory into account as we compare travel behavior of different socioeconomic profiles. An Individual with financial difficulty who relies on public transit for work is less likely to value transit amenities as the top determinant of their mobile. The center of his/her life revolves around meeting the fundamental needs, which in the example of public transit, lie on personal security and/or mobility to employment. On the contrary, people who make higher earnings or have access to private vehicles would be most concerned with the availability of bus information, the facilities, or the cleanliness of public transit. From a consumers standpoint, this group of individuals inherently holds plenty more travel alternatives options than the transit-dependent population. When conducting a market research, transit agencies would benefit themselves from using Maslows pyramid of needs along with different demographics as an index to prioritize their area of services. Transit demand involves many elements, not only considering the built environment, but also understanding the demographic profiles and public perception. In order to raise bus ridership in a cost-effective way, transit agencies and transportation planners should not focus on any one

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specific field for improvement. To increase personal mobility and help the City of Bellevue transform itself into a more sustainable and livable place, public surveys provide valuable reference, yet there are more aspects that would need to be considered or strategies to be implemented. Making Transit Fun Transportation is not an endit is a means to having a better life, a more enjoyable life In the work of Darrin Nordahl, Making Transit Fun: How to Entice Motorists from their Cars (2012), he inserted this quote emphasizing the true purpose of public transportation, which is in accordance to his unique ideas that he later introduced in the chapters. Nordahl maintains that the major problems of public transit in most American cities are rooted from the automobile industry that has long dominated the society and more significantly, our consumerism, in which cars have come to symbolize power. To solve such a dilemma as to make public transportation a more appealing option, he suggests make travel experience more enjoyable to the users. His ideas were in fact inspired by TheFunTheory.com, a website created by a group of people who aimed at promoting behavior change with different experiments using fun as the central theme for design. They recorded peoples reactions before and after the experiments, and the results were just amusing as they had anticipated. For instance, the design group installed interactive piano stairs at a subway station in an Netherlands in hopes to encourage people to take the stairs. After a period of observation, there appeared to be a 60% increase in the number of commuters who chose to use the stairs instead of the escalator (funtheory.com). What is so fascinating about these experiments is not the results, but the group of people behind them. The website, and the theory was established by one of the most leading car company in the worldVolkswagen. The example of the fun theory shows how emotions can be used in changing peoples attitudes and behaviors. As Nordahl argues in the book, the reason that cars has become a huge part of American culture is because the car industry has been so successful in targeting consumers emotions to sell their products. The marketing teams in different car companies are experts of marketing that they create advertisements that speak to the consumers by persuading them their products will help create their unique identity. A good example of such concept would be a recent commercial launched by Mini Cooper. Entitled Not Normal, the commercial begins by showing the life of an ordinary individualgoing to work and heading home on a subway.

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Eventually jumping into the highlight of the story following the narrator saying normal can never be amazing, the commercial introduces the products by showing all the fancy tricks that a Mini Copper is capable of. How can we expect people to want to ride the bus when it is the homeliest vehicle on the road, offering the most ordinary of experiences? (Nordahl, 2012) If we are able to transform the ordinary everyday commute into a more enjoyable or even a fun ride, chances are public transit might be a more preferable mode of travel. Suggestions for Bellevue and transit agencies Why isnt public transit the preferred travel mode in Bellevue? Given that the large number of discretionary riders in the city, how can we make buses an appealing option for them using the concepts that Darrin Nordahl proposes in his book Better marketing, better design, and better packaging. While improving transit performance by increasing frequency or adding a real-time bus information system can certainly increase ridership, using community-based social marketing as an outreach mechanism is another viable way to promote public transit in Bellevue. The objective of community-based social marketing is to effectively induce behavior change through taking initiatives on a community level. In the case of Bellevue, this strategy might be an ideal strategy for targeting discretionary riders or those who have never used transit. After all, an individuals attitude and behaviors can be greatly affected by the social institution that he/she is a part of. A well-designed campaign combined with vigorous outreach effort may be a good start for Bellevue to at least increase awareness of public transit. Another approach worth considering would be rebranding public transit by giving each route a unique identity. This approach has proven to be effective at increasing public awareness in Boulder, Colorado. Through the collaboration between residents, planner, and transit agencies, the community decided on naming different bus routes and give each a unique design, transforming local buses into a more user-friendly means of travel. The story of Boulder, CO has become a successful example of rebranding public transit. What is truly amazing about their strategy is not just the increased number of bus passengers, but the fact that the buses have literally become a source of local pride. These suggestions are mostly based on the concepts of human motivations and behavior change. They may not appear practical to those who favor service efficiency over service

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amenities. However, I would like to argue that while these approaches may not be applicable to reality, they will influence the public in a long-run once the transportation infrastructure has been improved. At that time, the city of Bellevue will need to take both the built form of public transit and the alternative ways to increase ridership into account.

Conclusion/Reflection Marketing is most powerful when it promotes something that actually exists. Cost and efficiency are critical pieces of creating a public transportation system that seduces ridership. But its beyond simple utility.

These two quotes summarize the limitation of my study, especially for the suggestions part. While Nordahls ideas on making transit more appealing sound certainly interesting, some have criticized these ideas as impractical since without a solid infrastructure and sufficient funding, better design or better packaging is quite impossible to achieve. However, I would like to argue that, in the case of Bellevue, where I personally have noticed a weak sense of community/belonging, both of these strategies are necessary for improving transit service and raising public awareness. The biggest obstacle that I have encountered in completing this project is the lack of communication with my mentor. After a couple of discussions with him, I came to realize how different our visions are. He is more interested in improving public transit through the built forms rather than the people aspect. Moreover, his level of interest in my project was perhaps the biggest discouragement, which made me shift the focus of this project even more. After consulting to Cheryl, I decided to shift my study a little bit. Because of my interest in behavioral change, I wanted to lean toward more on the psychological aspect public transit demand.

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Work cited Brown, Jeffrey, Daniel Hess, and Donald Shoup. "Fare-Free Public Transit at Universities: An Evaluation." Sage Urban Studies Abstracts 32.2 (2004)/econline/. Web. Currie, Graham, and Justin Phung. "Understanding Links between Transit Ridership and Gasoline Prices : Evidence from the United States and Australia." Transportation research record.2063 (2008)/zwcorg/.Web.

Chen, Cynthia, Don Varley, and Jason Chen. "What Affects Transit Ridership? A Dynamic Analysis Involving Multiple Factors, Lags and Asymmetric Behaviour." Urban Studies 48.9 (2011): 1893908. /econline/.Web. Iseki, Hiroyuki, and Brian D. Taylor. "Not all Transfers are Created Equal: Towards a Framework Relating Transfer Connectivity to Travel Behaviour." Transport Reviews 29.6 (2009): 777-800. /zwcorg/. Web. Iseki, Hiroyuki, et al. Thinking outside the Bus. Access 20 (2012): 1-15. Web Melloul, Abraham J., and Martin L. Collin. "A Hierarchy of Groundwater Management, Land-use, and Social Needs Integrated for Sustainable Resource Development." Environment, Development and Sustainability3.1 (2001): 45-59. /econline/. Web.

Mishalani, R. G., M. M. McCord, and J. Wirtz. "Passenger Wait Time Perceptions at Bus Stops: Empirical Results and Impact on Evaluating Real-Time Bus Arrival Information." JOURNAL OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION 9.2 (2006): 89-106. /z-wcorg/. Web.

Tang, Lei, and Piyushimita (Vonu) Thakuriah. "Ridership Effects of Real-Time Bus Information System: A Case Study in the City of Chicago." TRC Transportation Research Part C 22 (2012): 146-61. /zwcorg/.Web. Walker, Jarrett,. Human Transit : How Clearer Thinking about Public Transit can Enrich our Communities and our Lives. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2012. Print. Watkins, Kari Edison, et al. "Where is My Bus? Impact of Mobile Real-Time Information on the Perceived and Actual Wait Time of Transit Riders." Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice 45.8 (2011): 839-48. Web. Zhou J., and Schweitzer L. "Getting Drivers to Switch: Transit Price and Service Quality among Commuters." J.Urban Plann.Dev.Journal of Urban Planning and Development 137.4 (2012): 47783. /z-wcorg/.Web.

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