If the words in a weather forecast, such as “cool,” “sunny” or “windy,” can influence the way you dress for the day—can they also influence whether or not you take public transit?
If the words in a weather forecast, such as “cool,” “sunny” or “windy,” can influence the way you dress for the day—can they also influence whether or not you take public transit?
In new research published in Vehicles, U researchers found a correlation between words used in media coverage related to weather or air quality, and transit ridership. It’s not enough yet to say that media coverage causes changes in ridership, say authors Tabitha Benney and Daniel Mendoza. But it’s enough to explore what factors in to a person’s decision to ride transit and whether that decision can be nudged.
“This is encouraging,” Benney says. “There’s a lot of potential in terms of reaching a lot of different actors that could have a big influence or encourage ridership.”
Scanning the media
Mendoza, a research assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences and visiting assistant professor in the Department of City & Metropolitan Planning, previously studied how transit ridership along the Wasatch Front, on the buses and trains of the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), impacted air quality. The impact is greater when more people are riding since low-ridership trips, particularly on older buses, can actually have a net contribution to air pollution.
Read more at University of Utah
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