Patronage Forecasting for Downtown People Movers

Studies were performed for the Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority and Georgia Department of Transportation to determine the feasibility of Downtown People Mover (DPM) Systems for Detroit, Mich., and Atlanta, Ga., respectively. The DPM systems are intended to serve primary downtown trips (trips originating outside the downtown area) and secondary trips (trips with both ends in downtown). Procedures were developed to determine travel patterns within a downtown area through generation and distribution of secondary trips and primary trip ends. Number of workers, by type, in the downtown area is the basic input. A methodology is developed to estimate ridership for a DPM by superimposing the DPM configuration on the downtown transportation system. Travel by both downtown workers and nonworkers is considered in determining downtown travel patterns and DPM ridership forecasts. A computerized technique is developed for assigning primary trip ends and secondary trips to a DPM system using a set of modal split assumptions that address the unique problem of determining the ridership split between a transit mode and the walk mode.