The effects of the urban built environment on public transport ridership: similarities and differences

Understanding the relationship between public transport ridership and the built environment is crucial for the development of sustainable transportation systems. However, few studies have uncovered how the impact of built environment factors differs depending on the mode of public transportation, and there is insufficient evidence regarding the role of built environment factors in different types of ridership and their threshold effects. This paper presents a modeling framework that utilizes multi-source travel data to explore public transport ridership across multiple modes, including bus, transit (bus and metro), taxi, and shared bike ridership. A study conducted in Shenzhen, China found that common factors influence ridership across multiple transportation modes, and their effects vary by public transport mode. The joint contribution of variables related to the transportation network or points of interest to public transport ridership is substantial, but the effect of transportation network variables on different types of ridership varies significantly. Factors such as population density, distance to metro station, intersection density, shopping, and entertainment have similar associations with different types of ridership. The analysis of the active ranges and thresholds of built environment factors provides specific references for enhancing public transportation services or adjusting land use. The findings carry implications for policymakers to promote public transport use.