More Than Half of Vacationers Traveling to Cities This Summer  Will Use Local Public Transit System

Travelers cite use of public transit to help stretch their travel budget

May 20, 2009

contacts:

Mantill Williams
(202) 496-4869
mwilliams@apta.com

Virginia Miller
(202) 496-4816
vmiller@apta.com

(Download In Adobe PDF format)

WASHINGTON, DC – As Americans look for ways to cut travel cost this Memorial Day weekend, many vacationers seek affordability through the use of a city’s local public transportation system.  According to APTA’s Green Travel Forecast, a new travel survey released by the American Public Transportation Association, 51 percent of summer vacationers responded that they will use a city’s local public transportation system to get around during their visit.

This percentage represents the highest number recorded since the initial survey two years ago (up three percentage points from 2007).  The Green Travel Forecast is the only nationwide travel survey that looks at how travelers will get around once they reach their city destination.

Cities are the number one destination of travelers for the Memorial Day summer kick-off weekend.  Of those who plan to travel this memorial holiday, 49.2 percent say they will vacation in a city during this weekend.  Synovate, a leading market research firm, conducted the survey for APTA among 31,104 U.S. adults in April.  The survey continues to reflect the growing trend of travelers using public transportation during their city visit. 

“During these economic times, travelers are looking to save money and reduce their overall travel costs, yet still have the ability to enjoy their trip,” said Millar.  “Having access to good local public transportation is becoming an essential part of a vacationer’s travel plans because it is an easy way to get more out of a smaller travel budget.”  
 /p/>

Half of those planning to visit a major city this summer (49 percent) said that using public transportation had a strong effect on reducing their total costs of travel. 

In addition, 54 percent say that the availability of a public transit system played a role, with 28 percent saying it had a strong effect in determining their destination choice.

The proportion of urban visitors this summer that will use public transportation is as high as 56 percent – a three percentage point increase from last year – in New York City, the nation’s top destination for transit use by visitors. Almost all of the major city destinations are projected to see transit use by vacationers increase this summer from last year. A ranking of the top ten city destinations and their public transit use among visitors follows:

 “With gas prices increasing again, the expense of parking your car or renting a vehicle and the cost of multiple cab rides during your city visit, travelers like how easy it is to save money by using the local bus and train while visiting major cities,” said William Millar, president of APTA.  “Travelers also like the fact that using public transportation helps make the environment greener as they keep more green in their wallet.”

Reducing the cost to get around a city was the top concern when travelers listed the most important reasons they would use public transportation during their city trip this summer.  Forty-nine percent said they won’t have to worry about finding a parking space for their vehicle, followed by 48 percent who said it would be less expensive than taxicabs or rental cars and 36 percent said it is easy to use public transportation.

The cost savings for travelers using public transportation are significant. A traveler can purchase a visitors pass for a local public transportation system and ride all day for as little as $3 to $10. That is a fraction of what it would cost to rent a car and park it, or take numerous cab rides around the city, or buy gas and park a vehicle.  For instance, the daily parking rate for midtown New York is $40, in Boston it is $33 and San Francisco it is $28.

The most popular activity for those using public transportation while visiting a city is sightseeing (48 percent), followed by restaurant dining and nightlife (36 percent), shopping (34 percent), travel to and from the airport (33 percent), travel to and from their place of lodging (31 percent), and visiting historical sites (27 percent).

Travelers who originate from large metropolitan areas are more likely to take advantage of a city’s local public transportation system while vacationing.  Sixty-five percent of those traveling to a city on their summer trip and who plan to use public transit are from large urban areas, while 17 percent are from medium-sized metro areas and eight percent are from smaller cities and towns.

To assist travelers, APTA is providing specific information on day and visitor passes, trip planners, transit maps and directions for cities across the country.  Go to www.publictransportation.org.

“With concerns about our own personal economic recovery, many Americans this summer will look to save money by traveling closer to home to the nearest city destination,” said Millar. “Public transportation gives travelers the opportunity to stretch their travel budget while gaining a unique local tour of the area that can only be experienced on the city’s local public transportation system.”

***

APTA is a nonprofit international association of more than 1,500 member organizations including public transportation systems; planning, design, construction and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; and state associations and departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical public transportation services and products. APTA members serve more than 90 percent of persons using public transportation in the United States and Canada.