The value of security, access time, waiting time and transfers in public transport

Abstract

This chapter presents the valuation of four essential components of an urban public transport journey: access/egress walking time, waiting time, transfers between different legs of a trip, and security both in an out-of-vehicle. The first two components are termed out-of-vehicle travel time and are perceived differently by users than in-vehicle travel time because of the different levels of costs, effort, time, and stress each of them implies. Transfers between the legs of a public transport trip demand walking and waiting once again, but they also create an inconvenience per se in terms of disrupting in-vehicle travel time. Security refers to the subjective level of crime threat experienced by public transport users when travelling. If these four attributes combine in a non-favorable way, public transport patronage could be negatively affected. This, in turn, will contribute to greater car use creating more negative externalities and deteriorating the quality of urban life.The valuation of walking and waiting time is in an advanced stage: hundreds of studies have been conducted on the subject leading to a sound body of knowledge, from which relevant policy recommendations can be gained. The valuation of transfers has not been as extensively studied in the past but has been receiving increased consideration in the new century, as most city authorities are keen on increasing public transport shares in an attempt to achieve more sustainable cities. The valuation of security has received very little attention in the literature; only a handful of studies could be cited up-to-date. Research is urgently needed to understand better how improved security in public transport networks contributes to social welfare.