There are a lot of transportation metrics out there: total passenger miles traveled, pooled-trip rates, key pick-up/drop-off points, and the list doesn't stop there. With so many data points, it can feel overwhelming to decide which ones matter most. The key is to focus on how those metrics connect back to your service's goals.
Our other blog in the series addresses measuring efficiency. In this blog, we focus on identifying which metrics best reflect accessibility.
For many municipalities, accessibility is a top priority. Accessibility means more than coverage on a map: it's about ensuring that transportation is affordable, inclusive, and available in the places where residents need it most.
Metrics allow city leaders and transit agencies to measure whether their investment is expanding mobility and meeting the needs of the community.
By understanding which metrics are important when, we can make this process much simpler and more approachable.
To understand microtransit key metrics and benchmarks, you must establish your service’s desired goals and outcomes. A service's priorities determine which metrics define its success. In general, microtransit goals fall into categories:
These goals are deeply connected, but sometimes boosting accessibility can reduce aspects of efficiency, or the other way around. That's not to say a service has to be one or the other.
For example, a service operating in a community with older residents may be both accessible and efficient by having a high frequency of rider turnover on shorter trips to the grocery store and medical appointments. It's accessible because of the community it serves, and efficient because of its high rider use and turnover.
However, sometimes municipalities prioritize boosting metrics that are an indicator of one goal or the other to meet the specific needs of their community.
A city lacking paratransit will likely focus on accessibility. By providing a service that's broadly accessible, they'll ensure they have transit options for their entire community, even if it runs slightly slower.
A city struggling with traffic congestion may want a service that's focused on efficiency. A service that's fast and moves lots of people will reduce congestion but might not reach everyone who needs it.
Both goals provide something important, so measuring success starts with knowing which goal a service is prioritizing.
A few metrics that have inverse relationships (when one increases, the other decreases) are as follows:
Each tradeoff has benefits and drawbacks, but choosing how to operate is more about what your service’s goals are than what’s objectively “best”. For example, in the suburbs, communities with low population densities, or transit deserts, improving accessibility may be beneficial, whereas those in larger cities or population dense areas with existing transit options may want to focus their efforts on improving efficiency.
Accessibility determines what percentage and demographics of a population you’re serving. So, how can you ensure your community has accessible transportation? Let’s start by looking at:
To prioritize access, microtransit aims to have high total demand (requests), total completed rides, total passenger miles traveled, average passenger rating, low rider fares, diverse rider demographics, and key pick-up/drop off points at grocery stores, medical appointments, schools, workplaces, public housing units, and mass transit.
Think about a city where many residents don't own cars and the nearest bus stop is a 20 minute walk away. In this case, access might mean keeping fares low, establishing the service zone in an area with a grocery store and health clinic, and ensuring riders of all ages can easily book a ride. The measure of success isn't just how fast the system runs, but how well it connects people to the essentials of their daily lives.
High passenger miles show that the service is moving people across a wide area or through lots of shorter trips, both of which improve access. Strong demand, completed rides, and good passenger ratings indicate the service is meeting community needs.
Low fares keep service affordable. Top destinations at key locations like grocery stores, schools, and clinics, show that the service is being used by people who may not have previously had access to transportation.
The geography of The Rockaways has caused unique transportation challenges and had previously left the community without options to travel north-south within the peninsula.
As a coastal community, The Rockaways are also at higher risk to the effects of global warming. In 2022, Circuit was selected for the NYSERDA Clean Transportation Prize to help The Rockaways address these challenges and has since brought the community clean, affordable transit. This project maintains low rider fares, bridges first-mile/last-mile gaps in mass transit, transports 5,800+ passengers per month (1,000+ drop offs at grocery stores and 1,500+ to trains), and has created 25 W2 jobs for the community. The Rockaways are a great example of a community who relies on microtransit for daily essentials and an accessible service that gets them there.
Microtransit is a great addition to communities seeking to improve their accessibility or efficiency. When done well, it makes strides in both.
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