Energy Savings from Transit Passes: An Evaluation of the University at Buffalo NFTA Transit Pass Program for Students, Faculty, and Staff

Commuting incentives can produce mode shifts that reduce vehicle travel and promote trips to work on foot, bicycle, and public transit. The University at Buffalo (UB) began purchasing pre-paid Metro Rail passes from the local transit agency, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), in 2010 and distributing the transit passes free of charge to students, faculty, and staff. The passes are valid for unlimited use on Buffalo's light rail system, which connects two of the three university campuses. The UB-NFTA Metro Rail pass program has not yet been evaluated. With funding from the University Transportation Research Center (UTRC), we propose to assess the costs and benefits of the UB-NFTA Metro Rail pass program, with a focus on outcomes that align with both the UTRC and Departments of Transportation (DOT's) focus on promoting livable and sustainable communities through quality of life improvements.

• Record URL:
  http://www.utrc2.org/research/projects/energy-savings-transit-passes-evaluation

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $155813.00
• Contract Numbers:

  49997-29-24

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Department of Transportation

  Research and Special Programs Administration
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC    20590
• Project Managers:

  Mooney, Deborah

• Performing Organizations:

  State University of New York

  State University Plaza
  Albany, New York  United States  12246
• Principal Investigators:

  Hess, Daniel

• Start Date: 20121001
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20140531
• Source Data: RiP Project 32949

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: College students; Incentives; Light rail transit; Passes (Transportation); Sustainable transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Energy savings; University faculty
• Geographic Terms: Buffalo (New York)
• Subject Areas: Energy; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01492731
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: University Transportation Research Center
• Contract Numbers: 49997-29-24
• Files: UTC, RiP
• Created Date: Sep 12 2013 1:00AM