Causal Effect of New Bus Rapid Transit on Non-Work-Related Activities
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2026
Subject Area
place - north america, place - urban, mode - bus rapid transit, land use - impacts, land use - transit oriented development, policy - sustainable, policy - equity
Keywords
bus rapid transit, transit-oriented development, place visit, quasi-experiment, El Paso
Abstract
Bus rapid transit (BRT) has emerged as a promising solution to support sustainable urban development. Using smartphone mobility data, this quasi-experiment in El Paso, Texas explored the impacts of BRT on visits to non-work-related business destinations and socioeconomic disparities in these impacts. Fixed effect models were used to compare visit frequencies between treatment (within 0.5 mile of BRT stations) and control areas. Results showed that BRT increased business destination visits, especially among low-income and older populations. Further efforts are needed to investigate the full range of BRT benefits and strategies to promote transit-oriented development around BRT.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by SAGE, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Song, Y., Zhong, S., Lee, C., & Xu, M. (2026). Causal effect of new bus rapid transit on non-work-related activities. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 46(1), 25-39.
