Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Fare Pricing: Social Equity Conversations in Public Transportation Pricing, and The Potential of Mobile Fare Payment Technology

Owusu-Agyemang, Samuel
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2271-1714
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1719618299655138

Abstract Details

2024, Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Studies and Public Affairs, Cleveland State University, Levin College of Public Affairs and Education.
When designing fare structures, transit agencies are primarily concerned with generating revenue. They must however adhere to social justice goals set by transit governing bodies. Considering that travel is a derived demand, equitable access to public transportation enhances accessibility to desired destinations, especially for transit-dependent households. This three-essay dissertation addresses selected research questions in current transit pricing literature. The first essay examines the potential implications of fare capping policies for low-income transit users. The findings indicate that the introduction of monthly fare caps reduces total monthly fare expenditure among Extremely-Low-Income (ELI) riders and increases the likelihood of ELI riders earning unlimited monthly rides. The second essay explores how distance-based fares (DBF), compared to flat fare, potentially alters the travel expenditure of transit riders. This research finds that ELI riders experience significantly lower fare spending under a DBF system compared to a flat fare structure. The third essay tests current methodologies of extracting geodemographic information from mobile fare payment data. The findings show that land use type and the concentration of employment and housing in a neighborhood are significantly associated with the accuracy with which the residential locations of transit users can be inferred from mobile fare payment data. The analyses conducted in this dissertation are based on transit user activity data and survey data from a three-year federal grant led by NEORide, in partnership with multiple agencies in Ohio and Northern Kentucky. The research findings offer valuable insights into the current landscape of transit pricing and mobile fare payment technology in the United States.
Robert Simons, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Floun'say Caver, Ph.D (Committee Member)
Thomas Hilde, Ph.D (Committee Member)
William Bowen, Ph.D (Committee Member)
255 p.
Demographics; Economics; Geographic Information Science; Public Policy; Statistics; Transportation; Transportation Planning; Urban Planning
transportation equity; transportation economics; public transportation pricing; mobile fare payment; Automated Fare Collection; AFC data; smart card data; fare capping; distance-based fare; residential location inference; geodemographic mapping; low-income transit users

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Owusu-Agyemang, S. (2024). Fare Pricing: Social Equity Conversations in Public Transportation Pricing, and The Potential of Mobile Fare Payment Technology [Doctoral dissertation, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1719618299655138

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Owusu-Agyemang, Samuel. Fare Pricing: Social Equity Conversations in Public Transportation Pricing, and The Potential of Mobile Fare Payment Technology. 2024. Cleveland State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1719618299655138.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Owusu-Agyemang, Samuel. "Fare Pricing: Social Equity Conversations in Public Transportation Pricing, and The Potential of Mobile Fare Payment Technology." Doctoral dissertation, Cleveland State University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1719618299655138

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1719618299655138
115
© 2024, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.