The Elements of Sustainable Ridership

Of all the rail studies conducted in Louisiana in the last forty years, a candid discussion of what makes or breaks any transportation system’s ridership has never been sufficiently addressed. A successful passenger rail corridor is dependent upon sustainable ridership. Sustainable ridership hinges upon some very elemental tenets: On-Time Performance; Frequency of Service; and, Reliability of Service. Without attention to these elements, the incentive to use the service simply will not exist.

ON-TIME PERFORMANCE
On-time performance (OTP) is a simple issue, but, if it is not strictly adhered to, will cause customers undue anguish and frustration. Anyone relying on a timetable must have confidence in the schedule. Step on to any commuter rail platform in the Northeast Corridor (NEC) when a train is running six minutes or more late and you will hear grumbling. These riders are expected to be at their place of employment at a certain time. Therefore, they have an expectation of timely service.

FREQUENCY OF SERVICE
Just because a rail link exists, does not mean that it will successfully entice people to use it; especially if the frequency of service offers little or no benefit in travel convenience. For example, if the average drive time of the 15 mile one way trip between downtown New Orleans and the airport is between 20 and 30 minutes and the frequency of service for a rail trip is every 45 minutes, even if rail service got riders to the airport in a 15 minute trip, the riders’ incentive is immediately lost if they have just missed the train; an hour would pass before next the train could get them to the airport.

For rail to successfully compete, frequency of service must be robust enough to encourage airport passengers to choose the train above traditional modes of conveyance (rental cars, taxis, shuttles, and ride-shares). This encouragement does not equate to elimination of current transit options, it only provides an additional alternative for getting to and from the airport.

Ideally, robust frequency would be six trains in both directions each hour; with a 15 minute travel time and wait times no longer than 10 minutes between trains, passengers traveling to and from the airport would be guaranteed that they could get between both points of service in 25 minutes.

RELIABILITY OF SERVICE
Reliability of service is the overall key to the success of any transit system. If reliability is poor, on-time performance is precipitously reduced and frequency of service cannot be maintained. Service delays, and their causes, are well documented throughout transportation journals. Some service delays can be greatly reduced by system design; double tracking, alignment elevation to eliminate grade-crossing and pedestrian incidents, avoidance of freight rail interference, and capacity to reduce congestion, are examples. Some service delays, such as extreme weather events or passenger related problems, are difficult to prevent. The point to be drawn thus far is that diligent attention paid to reliability of service will make rail service attractive to riders.

Conclusion
The above three elements may appear trivial in nature, but they are all-important to sustainable ridership. Any study commissioned in the future regarding passenger or commuter rail service in Louisiana must address the question of sustainable ridership to be truly considered comprehensive.

Now that the elements have been touched upon, focus upon identifying the potential impediments can be addressed.