Abstract:This study investigates barriers to accessing the Davis Amtrak Station to inform a program designed to increase access to the station with on-demand alternatives. The program aims to decrease private vehicle use to access the station and for travel to locations outside of Davis through partnerships with a carpool/rideshare app, as well as a ridehail app. Motivations for the program stem from the high passenger usage at the Davis station that may be impacted by parking capacity and other challenges. The city has limited interest in or ability to add new parking capacity, however pricing will be introduced to the lot in the future. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City has not yet set a launch date for the program. This report evaluates the potential for the program using survey data collected from Davis residents about their travel expectations once COVID-19 is no longer a threat. The results of this study provide insights into residents’ interest in the planned pilot programs. Residents are most likely to use a free ridehail program to travel to the train station, while some are also likely to use a carpool/rideshare program and/or a free shuttle to downtown. Those with higher perceived risks associated with riding the train during COVID-19 are less likely to use these programs. City planners are already considering these issues, and these results underscore the importance of these issues in the final design and outreach for this pilot program.
Key words: Public transportation, access and equity, rideshare, parking