Bridging Transit Service Assessment and Community Needs: A Case Study in San Francisco Chinatown

Research Team: Joshua Meng (lead) and Chiwei Yan

UC Campus(es): UC Berkeley

Problem Statement: There is a gap between conventional transit planning and the actual needs of transit-dependent, vulnerable communities. Traditional methods rely on annual data collection and onboard ridership assessments, often neglecting neighborhood-specific needs, particularly in immigrant and low-income areas.

Project Description: This project focuses on San Francisco's Chinatown area served by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), aiming to inform more equitable transit service assessment and network redesign. Using data from a community transportation equity assessment by the Chinatown Community Development Center and the Chinatown Transportation Research Improvement Project, along with historical transit data, the project will develop transit equity indexes that consider service coverage, frequency, reliability, and rider satisfaction. These indexes will integrate community survey data with transit operational data, reflecting equity effects by considering demographics such as income, age, ethnicity, and disability. Additionally, the project will create protocols for future community-based data collection methods, ensuring ongoing, accurate assessments of community needs. By bridging the gap between transit planning and community needs, this project aims to promote a more inclusive and effective transportation system, ensuring that the voices of the most transit-dependent populations are heard and addressed in future transit decisions.

Status: In Progress

Budget: $75,000