This final report on the Amherst, Massachusetts Fare-Free Bus Research and Demonstration Project reviews the project background and scope, details its conduct and extensive data collection and analysis, presents findings and conclusions, and discusses the transferability of these findings and conclusions to other urban areas. The major objectives of the project was to determine to what extent at first providing a fare-free bus service, and later, increasing restrictions on intra-campus automobile use would have in a shift away from commuting by automobile in favor of commuting by bus. There was also concern as to how changes in transportation services would affect community attitudes toward public transportation. Significant findings were that: (1) introducing high frequency, fare-free transit services attracts high levels of ridership of low income groups, while only slightly reducing automobile usage and traffic congestion; (2) increased parking fees are not as effective a deterrent to automobile use as are reduced parking availability and strict parking regulations enforcement; (3) increases in parking fees that are perceived as relatively large, will be met with strong opposition from lower income workers for whom the automobile is the only available mode; and (4) fare-free transit will have significantly positive impact on the demand for multi-family housing and sales volumes of retail establishments, depending upon their relative proximity to transit bus stops.


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    Title :

    Amherst, Massachusetts Fare-Free Bus Research and Demonstration Project


    Contributors:
    W. P. Goss (author) / P. W. Shuldinger (author) / R. J. Giglio (author) / E. E. Kaczka (author) / L. A. Webster (author)

    Publication date :

    1978


    Size :

    312 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English