Mass Transit Demand in El Paso

• Activity Number: 78
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Sunday, July 29, 2012 : 4:00 PM to 5:50 PM
• Sponsor: Business and Economic Statistics Section
• Author(s): Thomas Fullerton*+ and Adam G. Walke
• Companies: The University of Texas at El Paso and The University of Texas at El Paso
• Keywords: Municipal Bus Transit ; El Paso ; Border Economics

Abstract

Empirical research for public transport demand has uncovered numerous interesting commonalities across metropolitan economies. This study examines the demand for municipal bus services over time in El Paso, Texas, USA. El Paso is one of the largest metropolitan economies in the USA located directly adjacent to an international boundary with another country. This study models the demand for municipal bus services as a function of traditional variables such as price, income, and weather, but also includes regressors designed to measure the potential impacts of cross-border economic conditions on El Paso ridership. Results from a linear transfer function modeling approach indicate that rider volumes are affected by domestic as well as international economic conditions in this border metropolitan area. Surprisingly, though, the real currency value of the peso is not found to directly impact ridership. Peso fluctuations probably influence ridership indirectly through impacts on pedestrian border crossing flows.