title: Does Bus Rapid Transit promote walking? An examination of New York City's Select Bus Service.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cities across the U.S. and internationally are adopting Bus Rapid Transit to improve transit services for residents. Features of Bus Rapid Transit include fewer stops, dedicated bus lanes, and expedited systems for boarding busses, compared with regular bus service. This study examines whether Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) ridership is associated with increased rates of walking, because of the greater distance between BRT stops compared with regular bus service.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surveys were conducted with riders of local and BRT buses for New York City's M15 Select Bus Service line. Surveys examined bus ridership, health status and physical activity, walking rates, and demographic information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BRT riders reported walking approximately half a block more than did local bus riders. The average number of blocks walked decreased for BRT riders who previously used the subway before the implementation of the BRT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BRT may be a useful tool to support walking for some groups. Depending on where it is implemented, BRT may also be associated with reduced walking among users who switch to BRT from other active transportation modes. Future research should examine associations between walking and BRT ridership with a larger sample and more sites.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Technology, Culture, and Society, New York University, Brooklyn, NY.
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: Ryan Richard
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Ruff
authors.forename: Randi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosenblum
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Karen K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D009765:Obesity; D012574:Schools; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014937:Work; D055815:Young Adult