The goal of the U.S. public transportation system is to provide safe, sustainable, and cost-effective movement to commuters. This is one of the major reasons why a huge population in the US uses public transportation. Choosing public transportation so frequently often raises some challenges that can be frustrating for travellers and transportation companies alike.
There are some challenges that sound overwhelming, but that can be solved with several better solutions; by taking a closer look at how transportation issues manifest; and by creating smoother and more accessible systems across cities. Here, check out the five most common public transport challenges in the states of the US.
When commuters experience delays, they are more likely to stop using public transit. Long waits at transfer points, the huge time gap between transit arrivals, and being prevented from boarding due to crowding are some of the major challenges that the public transportation system faces today.
The Solution: Improve bus frequency
Commuters want buses to arrive more frequently. A full 80% of respondents to a 2020 Hamburg survey state that bus frequency is a top priority. Waiting for the bus, the time spent (sometimes in the rain) is a major part of their total transit time. Riders want assurance that their bus will arrive soon, preferably in less than 15 minutes, and this can only be resolved by improving the bus arrival frequency, which would help with no more delays. This would lead to a huge preference for public transportation for commuters.
For transit riders, safety and comfort have always been a concern, and especially post-pandemic, the public will have to be convinced that it is safe to return. Comfort levels are highly variable and depend largely on crowd density in peak hours.
The Solution: Integrate Public Transport with Technology.
Technology can play a vital role when it comes to safety and comfort. Introducing efficient software that can provide accurate data about the number of passengers, arrival timings, and vehicle amenities would help people to know in advance about the safety features. Thus, it enhances the customer experience. Additionally, they may use geolocation to check the utilities available at each station, view the quickest routes to get them there, and sign up for notifications in case of service interruptions.
Ticket prices are such a large and crucial part of revenue collection for transportation companies, and fare evasion is a worldwide problem for transport agencies. To improve the services in the future, fraud numbers need to be drastically reduced.
The Solution: Automatic Fare Collection Gates.
Automatic collection of fares with the help of efficient software would be the best solution. Because there is a greater chance that they will be caught without a ticket, the barriers also diminish the temptation for fraud.
Congestion impacts commuters on an individual level. Vehicle exhaust fumes have been linked to respiratory problems, and being stuck in traffic increases stress levels. People are more concerned about traffic than about finances, housing, and even personal safety (according to a study by The Los Angeles Times).
The Solution: Smart Cities.
Integrated with technology, the smart city is a better solution. From trash cans to traffic lights, everyday objects can be fitted with sensors that connect them to the internet (known as the "internet of things" or IoT). To make the entire city run more efficiently, these sensors collect and share data. If a city is run more efficiently, then more people would prefer to use public transport because it will be reliable—and hopefully, more enjoyable to use!
Public transport is an industry with many moving parts that are difficult to organise with efficiency. At a single part of the chain, one error or delay, for example, a driver's absence, can cause a ripple effect of problems down the line. According to Network Rail, around 60% of passenger delays are caused by rail companies.
The Solution: Technology is the ultimate solution.
Yes, this is the same solution as above! By using smartphones and other technology to collect data, transport companies will be able to organise timetables with more efficiency. Data can uncover key information, such as peak times and flow rates.
Transportation issues can be greatly improved by technology. For instance, data analytics enables planners in the transportation industry to identify the precise transportation requirements of a state's citizens. QRyde's software even allows planners to track the ways that need to change over the course of a day or a season so that resources can be allocated exactly where they are most needed.
