The Effect of Density and Trip-Chaining on the Interaction between Urban Form and Transit Demand

Some urban policies are designed to reduce auto and increase transit usage. Evidence is mixed because most empirical research uses ad hoc specifications. We estimate empirical models of the interaction between urban form and transit demand drawn from urban economic theory. Population density has a small impact on transit demand, which decreases when residential location is endogenous. Households living farther from work use less transit, a result of trip-chaining. Reducing the spatial allocation of non-work activities, improving transit accessibility at and around subcenters, and increasing the presence of retail locations in proximity to transit-oriented households would increase transit demand.