brought to you by the Transport Knowledge Hub: Public Transport and the next generation Michelle McCormick, NZ Transport Agency

brought to you by the Transport Knowledge Hub: Public Transport and the next generation Michelle McCormick, NZ Transport Agency

Public Transport In New Zealand $1,992m in 2015-18 144m Passengers trips 5% Planned investment (services & infrastructure) 21% increase Annual passengers (2014-15) Annual Passenger Growth

Public Transport Research NZ Transport Agency commissioned Opus Research Who is the next generation Why should you consider them when planning public transport infrastructure and services?

Who? Generation Y / Millennials / Next Generation 15-35 years old in 2014 Born between 1979 and 1999 (inclusive)

Why? Gen Y proportion of regional population

Why else? Are they different? Generation Y Generation X & Baby Boomers Connect to others through technology more Travel less Use public transport more Getting/got their drivers licence later Value face to face interaction Travel more Use public transport less Got their drivers license sooner

Research Approach Tracked existing national & international travel trends Focus groups to understand transport needs Surveyed 1191 NZ travellers (771 Gen Y online + control group) about likely future demand and travel behaviours

Research Findings we are changing Research confirmed overseas travel trends evident in NZ Gen Y Less travel (esp. recreational) Lower drivers licencing rates Decline in vehicle kms driven Reduce vehicle ownership PT and cycling increasing But majority of travel by light vehicle still (e.g. cars) Back in the day, if you wanted to check your bank balance you d go to the ATM, but now you just do it at home, just out of convenience. With online banking and stuff like that it s just a bit easier

Gen Y most common PT attractors: 1. Avoid finding/paying for parking 2. More environmentally friendly travel mode 3. Able to do other things whilst travelling Over 80% of Gen Y identified attractors a higher rate compared to control group Gen Y most common PT barriers? 1. Time taken to travel via PT 2. Infrequent services 3. Lack of coverage 4. Expense

Research Findings Evidence of high latent demand for public and active transport amongst Gen Y (and older NZers) over the next 5 years Public transport being seen as a more viable option Gen Y currently use (and will continue to use) PT at a higher rate than older NZers Half of Gen Y projected to be using PT for both their main and other trips if service improved. Biggest increase is for other trips (e.g. recreational) over time Potential for PT Service improvement priorities targeting Gen Y positive knockon effects for control

PT Potential Use Gen Y s PT use projected to increase in next 5 years Main trip from 35% to 49% Main trips with improvements to 54% Other trips from 19% to 43% Other trips with improvements to 49% Control group (Gen X and Baby Boomers) = lower baseline with smaller increases Main trips from 22% to 31%, Main trips with improvements 34%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Top 10 Service Improvements Gen Y Control Group Increased frequency (peak) 29.8% Improved coverage 32.6% Improved coverage 24.6% Increased frequency (peak) 28.2% Bus priority lanes 22.2% Increased frequency (evening & weekends off-peak) 22.3% Free service transfers Increased frequency (evening & weekends off-peak) Shorter overall trip times Integrated ticketing Integrated ticketing Shorter overall trip times Bus priority lanes Increased frequency (day-time offpeak) 8 9 10 Increased frequency (day-time offpeak) Improved real-time information Wifi on services Cycle facilities on-board Short transfer wait times Bus Signal priority at lights

Convenience = most important predictor of transport mode People are starting families later which means you can use public transport for longer I suppose Affordability and safety were also important PT important transport mode, but improvements needed (to improve convenience) Certain life stages associated with decrease in PT use (e.g. having children) Gen Y do still value being able to drive and the independence this brings Convenience as the main motivator for transport mode choices A desire to use more PT and active transport modes over the next 5 years Active transport infrastructure particularly important to those in smaller centres

BUT Gen Y s travel more likely to vary over time Life phases anticipated to result in major changes to travel? Moving locations Changing jobs/job locations Starting a family Moving overseas for an OE Moving out of the family home

Overview Evidence of high latent demand for public (and active) transport amongst Gen Y (and older NZers) over the next 5 years Gen Y currently use and are projected to continue to use PT at a higher rate than older NZers Half of Gen Y projected to be using PT for both their main and other trips if service improved Gen Y highly transitional in their travel behaviour (90% anticipate changes) A lot of overlap in service improvement priorities targeting Gen Y has a positive knock-on effects for rest of NZers.

How are we using this research? The top seven priorities across Gen Y and older NZers should be targeted in future investment Evidence suggests that if investment is made in PT and active transport infrastructure increased usage will result Findings should inform planning and investment decision making Regional Land Transport Plans and the National Land Transport Programme

Check out this research report www.nzta.govt.nz Research Report 569 Public Transport and the next generation June 2015