Identifying Barriers to Bus Utilization Through a Multi-Layered Approach: Exploring Accessibility, Comfort, Safety, Security, and Fare Policy

Public transit systems are increasingly adopting various strategies to improve transportation efficiency, safety and accessibility in urban areas. However, despite the intended benefits, barriers to bus use persist. This dissertation investigates these barriers through a multilayered approach focusing on safety, fare policy, accessibility, security, and comfort. First it examines the traffic calming effects of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on a high speed, arterial corridor in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The findings indicate that BRT corridors can improve road safety by reducing motor vehicle speeds while also promoting multimodal transportation options. Second, the research evaluates the impact of fare-free transit policies on ridership, revealing that job accessibility plays a more significant role in influencing ridership than traditional socioeconomic factors such as income, education, and residential density. Lastly, this study develops user personas through survey-based clustering analysis and interviews to identify distinct transit user groups, their specific barriers to BRT use, and their unique transit needs. The findings suggest that targeted interventions, such as enhancing security measures, improving service reliability, and balancing fare policies, can help address the diverse needs of transit users.