A Stated Preference Survey for Passenger Sensitivities to Travel Costs in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area

Metrolinx conducted a stated preference survey on passenger sensitivity to transit fare, cost, and other service factors in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA). This project is the largest fare sensitivity survey conducted within the GTHA (3,500+ responses collected from September to October, 2016), and the first fare sensitivity study completed in the region in decades. The results include elasticities for various travel segments broken down by time of day, origin/destination, and mode of travel, enabling better forecasts of how specific groups of passengers (e.g., off-peak GO Rail users, automobile users, local transit users) might respond to changes in price and service. This work can help evaluate existing and future pricing strategies, service changes, and other projects that may affect revenue and ridership across the entire GTHA.