| Prof Luis Ferreira - Queensland
University of Technology, Brisbane Australia
It has become generally accepted that
to maximise patronage, transit must take people to where they
want to go in a timely and convenient fashion. The benchmark in
this case may be the most attractive available alternative mode,
such as the private car with its door-to-door high level of service.
Terms such as ‘integrated’,
co-ordinated’ and ‘seamless’ are often associated
with transit systems planning, funding, operations and performance
monitoring. The paper defines those terms in the different contexts,
as well in their broader multi-modal and land use implications.
Discussed here are performance indicators
which may be used to evaluate the degree to which integration
attempts lead to the achievement of overall objectives. Ways in
which those measures may be obtained in practice are also canvassed.
It is concluded that there is a need
for transit planners and operators to be more rigorous in performance
measurement of integration and ‘seamlessness’. Changes
in perceptions of travellers with respect to transit accessibility
and ease of use need to be captured in more tangible ways than
has been the case in the past.
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