Evaluating the comparative efficiency of urban mass transit systems: a longitudinal analysis of the Ohio case

Abstract

A mass transit system not only improves passenger mobility, but also affects the level of economic activities (e.g. working and shopping). Thus, changes wrought by mass transit service planning can heavily influence regional economic growth. This planning requires a careful consideration of conflicting goals (e.g. better utilisation of fleets vs. transit services, improved passenger services vs. increased operating expenses, revenue increases vs. tax or fare hikes) which poses a number of problems for policy decision makers. In particular, given the public's growing concerns over government budget deficits, the continuous underutilisation of mass transit systems can increase public scrutiny concerning the increased investment in mass transit services. To find ways to better utilise mass transit systems across the state of Ohio and thus make the best use of state/federal/municipal government funds and taxpayers' monies, this paper aims to evaluate the operational efficiency of the current mass transit system relative to benchmark standards and then identify the leading causes of mass transit inefficiencies. To achieve these goals, this paper analyzes the past three years of time-series data regarding 24 urban mass transit agencies in Ohio using window data envelopment analysis.