Passenger Counting Systems

Abstract

The purpose of this synthesis is to document the state of the practice in terms of analytical tools and technologies for collecting transit ridership and other subsidiary data. It provides advice for transit agencies considering automatic passenger counter (APC) systems. Survey results include transit agency assessments of the effectiveness and reliability of their methodologies and of desired improvements. The survey was designed to emphasize APC systems; however, agencies using manual systems were also surveyed to gain an understanding of the reasons that new technologies have not been adopted. Detailed findings from six case studies characterize individual “best practice,” as well as highlight problems common to APC implementation. An appendix summarizes APC implementation, including the percentage of vehicles equipped with APCs, hardware supplier, software supplier, and the procurement process for each agency. This report was accomplished through a review of the relevant literature, a web-based survey of a cross section of transit agencies in North America, and telephone interviews conducted with key personnel at six transit agencies to profile innovative and successful practices and to explore ongoing issues. Surveys were received from 56 transit agencies; a response rate of 73%. Additionally, 45 agencies responded to a broad-based invitation to participate in the survey, for a total of 86 agencies. These 86 agencies range in size from having 10 to more than 2,000 buses in operation.