Regional Coordination in Public Transportation: Lessons for the U.S.

Spatial expansion of metropolitan areas has extended daily travel patterns beyond administrative service areas of public transportation agencies. Coordination of transit services throughout metropolitan areas could offer seamless and convenient travel options that attract motorists who are used to connected regional roadway networks. However, transit service in US metropolitan areas remains fragmented. This study identifies lessons in regional coordination for transit from metropolitan areas in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria with over 30 years of experience of regional coordination in so-called Verkehrsverbunds (regional transit authorities). Verkehrsverbunds have increased transit ridership and financial efficiency and help account for 5 to 10 times more transit trips per capita there than in the US. Lessons from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria are meaningful, because of comparable federal structures of government, standards of living, and levels of motorization. Initially, this project highlights challenges in regional coordination of transit in the US using the regions in the middle/south Atlantic Census region (e.g. Washington (DC), Richmond, and Philadelphia regions) as case studies. The main part of the study documents trends in ridership, financial efficiency, and administrative structures of Verkehrsverbunds in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria using case studies from large and small regions, such as Berlin, Stuttgart, Freiburg, Basel, Zurich, or Vienna. The goal is to identify successful policies and administrative structures that foster regional collaboration.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $100000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  DTRT12-G-UTC03

  VT-2013-04

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  University Transportation Centers Program
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center

  Pennsylvania State University
  201 Transportation Research Building
  University Park, PA  United States  16802-4710
• Performing Organizations:

  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg

  Department of Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences
  100 Cheatham Hall Mail Code 0321
  Blacksburg, VA  United States  24061
• Principal Investigators:

  Buehler, Ralph

• Start Date: 20120901
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20150630
• Source Data: RiP Project 35535

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Coordination; Metropolitan areas; Policy analysis; Public transit; Regional transportation; Transit operating agencies
• Geographic Terms: Austria; Germany; Switzerland; United States
• Subject Areas: Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Transportation (General); Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01495326
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: DTRT12-G-UTC03, VT-2013-04
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Oct 11 2013 1:00AM