Transit Rider Perceptions: Understanding and Taking Action

Transit ridership and travel behavior patterns and destinations all are changing. Some of this change predates the pandemic but post-pandemic it’s clear that reaching and understanding riders is key. Key to rebuilding ridership, to responding to changing mobility needs, to addressing inequities and to positioning transit as core to the way communities move in the future. How are different agencies designing, testing and refining their efforts to reach different subsets of riders? What methods are working – from tactical outreach to advanced data analytics to advocacy? And how are insights shaping action, to build rider trust and recalibrate service, short and long-term? Take a seat for a fascinating journey about where transit is headed next.

Moderator: Naomi Renek, Senior Advisor, Federal Policy, NYS Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) – New York, New York, NY
Alanna McKeeman, Vice President, Senior Project Manager, Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning, Washington, DC
Jonathan Rewers, Chief Strategy Officer, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), San Francisco, CA
Tariem Burroughs, Chair of SEPTA Citizen Advisory Committee, SEPTA Citizen Advisory Committee, Philadelphia, PA
Melissa Kim, Program Manager, Strategic Planning, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Washington, DC