Rural public transportation demand: characteristics and estimation methodology

The demand for rural public transportation service in Texas is documented and characterized in this report. The determinants for this demand are analyzed using a database on existing section 18 systems in Texas, developed from three sources of primary as well as secondary information: census data, section 18 contractors' quarterly reporting forms (submitted to the sdhpt), and a mail/ phone survey of these contractors/ operators. Procedures for demand estimation are presented, capturing the dependence of this demand on system supply and service availability, in addition to the usual sociodemographic variables. Alternate procedures are also developed to estimate potential demand in the absence of supply information, and applied to calculate estimates for all counties in Texas. Other useful parameters of rural public transit demand are also presented, particularly with regard to specialized market segments and elasticity of demand to service characteristics (a).