Measuring Transit Equity of an On-Demand Multimodal Transit System

Problem, research strategy, and findings On-demand transit is attracting the attention of transportation researchers and transit agencies for its potential to solve the first-mile/last-mile problem. Although on-demand transit has been proved to increase transit accessibility significantly, its impact on transit equity and equality has not been addressed. In this study we examined the potential impact of the On-Demand Multimodal Transit System (ODMTS) in Atlanta (GA), on both transit equity and equality compared with the existing transit system. The results showed that ODMTS could have a positive impact on transit equality by reducing the disparity in transit service between neighborhoods close to and far from the existing transit network; however, it may not improve transit equity.