Pre-Wave Survey: Technology Adoption Future Research

Experimental Design: Solomon 4 Group

How can you access OneBusAway?

Pre-Wave Survey: Using OBA

Pre-Wave Survey: Ridership

References(1) Watkins, K., Ferris, B., Borning, A., Rutherford, S., and Layton, D. (2011) "Where Is My Bus? Impact of mobile real-time information on the perceived and actual wait time of transit riders." Transportation

Research Part A 45. 839-848.(2) Ferris, B., Watkins, K., and Borning, A. (2011) "OneBusAway: Behavioral and Satisfaction Changes Resulting from Providing Real-Time Arrival Information for Public Transit." Proceedings of the 2011

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting.(3) Tang, L., Thakuriah, P.V. (2012). “Ridership effects of real-time bus information system: A case study in the City of Chicago.” Transportation Research Part C, v.22, 2012 June, p.146(16)(4) Zhang, Feng. (2010). “Traveler Responses to Real-Time Transit Passenger Information Systems.” Doctoral Dissertation. University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.

Objectives & Methodology

Background Information

Research Questions & Literature

AN EXPERIMENT WITH REAL-TIME TRANSIT INFORMATION IN TAMPACandace Brakewood, PhD Student, Georgia Tech, candace.brakewood@gatech.edu | Dr. Sean Barbeau, Principal Mobile Software Architect for R&D, USF, barbeau@cutr.usf.edu | Dr. Kari Watkins, Assistant Professor, Georgia Tech, kari.watkins@ce.gatech.edu

AcknowledgementsThis project is funded by the National Center for Transit Research at the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR), a University Transportation Center (UTC). The authors would like to thank the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority for their support of the OneBusAway project, particularly Shannon Haney. We are also grateful to the 400+ bus riders in Tampa who have agreed to participate in this exciting study.

Objective: Quantify the impacts of real-time bus information on transit rider behavior and satisfaction

Methodology: Behavioral experiment including small deployment of OneBusAway

Data Collection: Before and after web-based survey distributed through transit agency website & email list

Location: Tampa, Florida

A Solomon four group research design is used to control for other variables. Participants were randomly assigned into groups after completing the initial survey.

Most HART bus riders have access to digital technologies. 46% of survey respondents use an Android smartphone and 64% use computers. Post-Wave Survey: Conduct the post-wave survey in May

Statistical Analysis: Compare the survey answers from the OneBusAway test group with the control group

Regression Analysis: Model change in frequency of bus travel (per week) due to OneBusAway

Mobile Website Android App iPhone App 51% of HART bus riders say they would ride the bus more frequently if they had real-time bus information.

PRE-TEST of Control Group (231 participants)

POST-TEST of Control Group (231 participants)

Experimental Group

Control Group

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

55%

48%

33%

39%

9%

12%

If you had access to OneBusAway, would you change how often you ride HART buses?

I would ride the bus more of-ten

I would ride bus less often

No, I would ride the bus about same

I'm not sure

N/A

iPhone

Blackberry

Android

Other Smartphone

Tablet

Laptop or Desktop Computer

Cell Phone (not smartphone)

Text Messaging

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

23%

3%

46%

6%

30%

64%

30%

60%

What technologies/devices do you use?

Experimental Group

Control Group

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

72%

58%

18%

26%

If you had access to OneBusAway, how often would you use it?

Every time I ride the bus

Most times I ride the bus

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

I'm not sure

65% of HART bus riders say they would use real-time information every time they ride the bus.

Where’s the bus?

PRE-TESTof Experimental Group

(232 participants)

POST-TEST of Experimental Group

(232 participants)

February 2013 (Completed) May 2013 (Coming soon!)

• Does real-time information increase transit ridership?• Prior research by Tang et al. (2012) and Zhang (2010)Ridership

• Does real-time information decrease wait times?• Prior research by Watkins et al. (2011)Wait times

• Does real-time information increase satisfaction with transit service?

• Prior research by Ferris et al. (2011) and Zhang (2010)Satisfaction

• Does real-time information increase the perception of safety?

• Prior research by Zhang ( 2010) and Ferris et al. (2011)Safety

• Does real-time information decrease the transfer penalty?

• No known prior researchTransfer

OneBusAway: Originally deployed in Seattle, Washington & recently adapted for New York City

Tampa, Florida: Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) is the third instance of OneBusAway

Collaboration: USF is leading the development for Tampa & Georgia Tech is conducting the evaluation