Access Free Fare Program
Assessment Survey
Methodology
• Telephone survey
• Sample Population
– Rode on Bus or Train using Free Fare Program at least once in
previous six months
• Interview Dates
– January 9 to 22, 2017
• Sample Size
– 800
• Questionnaire Length
– 18 minutes and 50 seconds
• Sampling error
– + 3.5 percentage points
The Sampling Process
105,103
800
Monthly Ridership
Bus/Train Trips Per Month
21+
29%
Ride Bus/Train With PCA
Don't
know
4%
No
27%
1-20
67%
Refused
4%
Yes
69%
Average Monthly Bus/Train Trips
Trips
With
PCA
22
10.9
n = 800
Metrolink Free Fare Monthly Ridership
Ride Metrolink with Access ID Card
30%
Monthly Metrolink Free Fare Trips
33%
25%
1 to 3
17%
18%
4 to 5
6 to 10
Average
Monthly
Trips
12
More than 10
n = 240
Use of Free Fare Program
How People Use Access ID Card
62%
30%
8%
Only for themselves
Let other people use it
Don't know
Okay To Let Other People Use Access ID Card Ride Bus/Train
Somewhat 8%
Strongly 80%
Somewhat 2%
Strongly 6%
Disagree
Agree
5%
Don't know
n = 800
Bus/Train Trip Purposes
89%
Doctor’s appointment
54%
70%
Go shopping
12%
61%
Run errands
Visit family/Friends
Out to eat/Entertainment
School
Work
Church
9%
52%
4%
44%
3%
20%
6%
19%
7%
5%
2%
All Trip Purposes
Most Frequent Trip Purpose
n = 300
Reason Ride Bus/Train
61%
17%
14%
4%
Convenience/Flexibility
Price
Physical/Mental Health
Other Reasons
n = 800
Preferred Change to Free Fare Program
Limit number free trips
(4 Trips per Day or
100 Trips per month)
38%
Buy Monthly Metro TAP card
24%
Small fee each trip
Depends on trip limit/Fee/Cost of card
None of these
Don't know/Refused
23%
4%
6%
5%
n = 800
Trip Limits
Maximum Number Trips Per Month
23.6
Minimum Number Trips Per Month
12.2
Limit Prefer: 100 Month or 4 Day
Neither Don't
know
1%
5%
4 per day
34%
100 per
month
60%
n = 800
Ridership Impact: Per-Trip/Monthly TAP Card Fee
Per-Trip Fee
Monthly TAP Card
48%
45%
39%
40%
7%
7%
7%
4%
2%
Same
Fewer
2%
Stop Riding
Depends
Don't know
n = 800
Potential Decrease Bus/Train Trips Per Month:
Per-Trip Fee/Monthly TAP Card
TAP Card
-5.6
$0.25 fee
$0.50 fee
$0.75 fee
$1.00 fee
-6.2
-9.3
-13.0
-15.2
n = 800
How Replace Bus/Train Trips
(Customers Who Said They Would Take Fewer Trips on the Bus/Train)
Charge Monthly
Fee
Card
Call Access and schedule a ride
64%
57%
Take fewer trips and stay home
46%
56%
Get a ride with a friend or family member
48%
52%
Use Uber or Lyft
13%
15%
Use a taxi
11%
9%
Walk
4%
6%
Pay Fee/Take Bus/Use Senior Discount Card
2%
0%
Other
6%
4%
Don’t know/Not Sure
3%
3%
Base
614
400
Potential for Rides Switching to Access
Per Month
$0.25 per trip
$0.50 per trip
$0.75 per trip
$1.00 per trip
Monthly Tap Card
Would Call
Access:
Annual Cost
Avg. Trips
Total Potential Trips
Assuming 10% of Trips
Switch Per Switch to Access Per
Switch to Access at
Month
Month
$25.00 Per Trip
Low High
Low
High
Low $
High $
2.3 4.2 117,847
215,198 $3.5M
$6.4M
3.7 6.6 189,580
338,169 $5.6M
$10.1M
4.7 8.5 240,817
435,521 $7.2M
$13.0M
5.5 9.7 281,807
497,006 $8.4M
$14.9M
1.8 3.0
53,918
89,863 $1.6M
$2.6M
Questions