Task Order 5109
Policy and Behavioral Research

Effectiveness of Mobility Pass Program in San Diego

Louis Rea
City Planning
San Diego State University

Summary

The purpose of the proposed research is to assess the effectiveness of the San Diego Association of Government's (SANDAG) Mobility Pass Program, which is scheduled for implementation in Summer 2004. SANDAG's Mobility Pass Program will provide unlimited transit use and limited carsharing privileges in a single fare media package, marketed directly through residential associations, merchant associations, employer benefit packages, and other organized interests to encourage maximum transit use. Since transit service alone demonstrates certain shortcomings in meeting all of the transportation needs of the public, the Mobility Pass will combine a prepaid monthly transit pass with membership in a carsharing program to provide a mobility and flexibility solution for participants. By combining these two services, participants will be able to use transit services when viable (e.g. for commuting to work), and will also have access to a car when needed (e.g. for grocery shopping, lunch-hour trips, or when transit service is limited). The synergy created by packaging transit service and carsharing into one mobility solution is expected to increase the effectiveness and use of both programs.

The proposed research will examine the Mobility Pass Program's effectiveness in shifting traveler's mode choice from auto to transit, its effectiveness in reducing overall household vehicle-miles traveled, and its financial viability as a source of revenue generation for transit operators and carsharing organizations. Results from this study will assist transit agencies and communities around the state in their efforts to develop effective mobility pass programs that optimize transit usage. This study will also contribute to an understanding of the potential revenue-raising benefits of such a program. The San Diego region provides an ideal study area in that both mobility pass and carsharing programs are scheduled for test implementation in the coming year (2004-2005).

Method

The Mobility Pass Pilot Program and the Carsharing Pilot Program will be implemented in two project study areas in the San Diego region: Centre City (downtown San Diego) and Sorrento Valley. Centre City and Sorrento Valley communities were selected to test the applicability and success of the Mobility Pass program in two different land use environments: a transit oriented village and a suburban employment center. Centre City is rapidly growing and developing into San Diego's first urban village. DowntownÕs population and activity density, the pedestrian friendly land-use design, and the breadth of transit services available make the area a primary candidate for multi-modal transportation management solutions. Alternatively, Sorrento Valley is San Diego's largest suburban employment center and a regional congestion hotspot. It is anticipated that carsharing could help mitigate Sorrento ValleyÕs congestion by boosting commuter rail ridership.

The Mobility Pass will be sold in bulk to two downtown residential complexes and to 3-5 participating businesses in the Sorrento Valley area. During the first six months of the pilot program, the passes will be provided to participants at a significant discount. After establishing a sample of approximately 300 participants, the research team proposes conducting an opening survey, monthly surveys, and an exit survey. The opening survey will establish the participants' demographic profiles, as well as their current travel behavior before participation in the pass program, including total daily trips by trip type and mode, and origin/destination information. The monthly survey will track participants' travel changes in response to their participation in the pass program. Monthly surveys will question participants about their daily trips, trip type, and mode of travel. The research team also proposes conducting focus groups with study participants at the beginning of the study to help inform and pretest the survey instruments and again toward the end of their participation in the pass program to determine how their travel behavior has been affected. Finally, an exit survey will ask participants for their opinions about the Mobility Pass program, the transit system in general, and their carsharing experiences.

After six months, a long-term pricing and marketing scheme will be developed based upon the survey findings. The survey portion of the Pilot Program will assist in understanding how the passes are being used and how to price the passes so as to boost existing revenue levels to cover any additional costs created by higher ridership (i.e. more trolley or bus service due to capacity constraints). Upon development of a long term pricing and marketing scheme, the research team will launch an initial outreach campaign aimed at maximizing sales to the general public. Finally, if the Mobility Pass is found to be an effective tool in changing participant travel behavior, the research team will work to integrate the Mobility Pass program into the Regional Congestion Management Program (CMP) and into the traffic mitigation and development review ordinances of regional cities.