Built environment as a precondition for demand-responsive transit (DRT) system survival: Evidence from an empirical study

Abstract

Media coverage of the convenience, flexibility and personalized travel services of demand-responsive transit (DRT) systems masks the fact that these systems have a high failure rate worldwide. The failed cases suggest that DRT does not necessarily survive in all types of human settlements; however, existing studies have failed to give quantitative assessments of how and the degree to which the built environment impacts DRT use. This paper addresses this problem through an empirical study of a successful DRT system in Dalian, China. The results demonstrate a significant impact of the built environment on DRT use. A larger residential population, lower employment density, more residential land uses, less administrative land uses, poor connectivity to road networks and parking supply, better accessibility to different facilities, and long distances from urban business centers encourage DRT use and are therefore conducive to the development of customized bus (CB) systems (routes). The effects of built environment characteristics on DRT use were found to be largely different from those in regular transit systems, indicating that tapping into niche markets that are poorly served by regular transit services is a potential marketing direction for DRT systems. The findings of this study can provide theoretical guidance for DRT operators to identify appropriate market niches and thereby reduce the risk of failure.