The Effects of Access and Accessibility on Public Transport Users' Attitudes

This study investigates existing users' attitudes towards public transport from two perspectives. First, the effects of accessibility to various destinations and ease of access to terminals on public transport users' attitudes are determined. Second, the contribution of social norm, as an information source, in the formation of users' attitudes is assessed. A user-preference survey was undertaken in Auckland, New Zealand, at two terminals. Data were analyzed using ordinal and logistic regression models. Findings showed that residential density and quality of the built environment, particularly safety, have an effect on the number of pedestrians who access a terminal. Accessibility to various destinations, "reaching work/education," and "reaching other suburbs" in both data sets were statistically significant for existing users' satisfaction with the current system. The findings also show that negative experiences of others have an adverse effect on existing users' intentions to continue ridership. Overall, the results showed that to retain existing patronage, the ease of access to terminals and connectivity to various destinations need to be of a high standard.