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TABLE 1
TRANSIT AGENCIES BY SIZE
No. of Vehicles Operated in No. of Agencies % Agencies
Maximum Service Responding Responding
Fewer than 250 57 73.1
250 to 999 14 17.9
1,000 or more 7 9.0
Total 78 100
To guard against missing any agencies that have imple-
mented downtown circulators and to ensure a broader sample FIGURE 1 Map of FTA regions.
an identical e-mail message was sent to APTA transit agency
members inviting their participation in the survey.
Thirty-seven completed surveys were received from Most of these smaller agencies were not included in the
the 42 agencies in the core sample, an 88% response rate. core sample.
An additional 41 agencies not included in the core sample
became aware of the survey and also participated, for a final Table 2 shows the distribution of responding agencies
sample total of 78 agencies. Of the 78 respondents, 74 were by FTA region. Regions IX (southwest), IV (southeast), III
transit agencies, 3 city departments of transportation (DOTs) (mid-Atlantic), and V (Great Lakes) had the most agencies
responsible for operation and oversight of the downtown cir- responding. Figure 1 is a map of FTA regions. Figure 2
culator, and 1 a transportation management association presents the distribution of survey respondents across the
(TMA) affiliated with a downtown business improvement United States and Canada. Case study locations are shown
district. The 78 agencies operating within the cities in the by a large dot.
sample range in size from fewer than 25 to more than 2,000
buses operating in peak periods. Note that this is the overall ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT
size of the transit fleet, not the number of downtown circula-
tor buses operated. Following this introductory chapter, chapter two summarizes
the findings of the literature review. Chapter three, the first of
Table 1 presents the distribution of responding agencies two chapters to present the results of the survey, focuses on the
by size. In cases where the responding agency was not the origin, structure, operation, and administration of downtown
primary transit agency, the size of the primary agency was circulators. Chapter four discusses the responding agencies'
used to measure size. More than 70% of all responding assessment of the success of the downtown circulators. This
agencies operate fewer than 250 vehicles in peak service. chapter summarizes agency satisfaction with the circulator,
potential improvements, and lessons learned. Chapter five
reports detailed findings from each of the seven case studies.
The selection process for case studies had several criteria:
TABLE 2 (1) include transit agencies of various sizes in different parts
TRANSIT AGENCIES BY FTA REGION of the country; (2) include agencies at various stages of the
No. of
implementation and operation of downtown circulators;
Agencies % Agencies (3) select a variety of agencies charged with operating or
FTA Region Responding Responding overseeing the operation of downtown circulators, includ-
I 3 3.8 ing transit agencies, municipal DOTs, and a private-sector
II 5 6.4 entity; and (4) include at least one agency that has discontin-
III 10 12.8 ued its downtown circulator to reflect real difficulties facing
IV 14 17.9 downtown circulators. Chapter six summarizes the findings,
V 10 12.8 presents conclusions from this synthesis project, and offers
VI 7 9.0 items for further study. Findings from the surveys and par-
VII 0 0.0 ticularly the case studies provide an assessment of strengths
VIII 1 1.3 and weaknesses and likely future directions.
IX 17 21.8
X 8 10.3
Appendix A presents a copy of the on-line survey. Appen-
Non-U.S. (Canada) 3 3.8
dix B provides survey results by question. Appendix C is a
Total 78 100.0
list of all transit agencies participating in the survey.
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FIGURE 2 Survey respondents and case studies.
