Managing transit ridership with short-term economic incentives. Final report

This study provides an overview of the variety, type, and nature of short-term economic-incentive programs that have been introduced by transit properties over the last few years. To accomplish this, a framework for understanding short-term economic incentives is presented. The framework has been derived from psychological research and from contemporary marketing and management perspectives. Second, a series of case studies is examined and evaluated. Finally, recommendations of the best ways to implement a short-term economic-incentive program are made. A decision matrix is set up to help the reader decide whether to try a short-term economic-incentive program, or other possibilities like a change in service level. The document includes information on the types of incentives that might be offered, the length of time such programs need to be in effect, the time and place to distribute incentives, and the reasons for distributing them. In addition, ways are described for evaluating the effectiveness of short-term economic-incentive programs and for determining the cost and benefits of such procedures.