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Levine, Arquero de Alarcon and Colleagues Discuss Solutions to “The Last-Mile Problem”

Levine, Arquero de Alarcon and Colleagues Discuss Solutions to “The Last-Mile Problem”

Professor Jonathan Levine and Associate Professor Maria Arquero de Alarcon were among a team of researchers who explored how the value commuters place on time, cost and safety impacted their use of public transportation when faced with the “last-mile” problem.The “last-mile” problem refers to the inability of transit to get travelers from their doorway all the way to their destination, leaving commuters with an additional need for transportation on one or both ends of their routes. The study, published in May 2016 by the International Journal of Transportation, was co-authored by Moira Zellner, Dean Massey and Yoran Shiftan.

Studying four Chicago neighborhoods, the group developed a model to predict how specific changes (including parking fees, streetscaping and the availability of shuttles) might interact to create a tipping point, increasing the likelihood of choosing transit.  This conceptual model was revised as data came in, and the team considered the model as a step toward promoting policy that will increase the use of transit.

For more information, please see the full article here.