Project Introduction
The Chinatown Ridership Assessment is a partnership between UCB and CCDC/TRIP to analyze the results of the community assessment and to create an advocacy tool to promote the need for public transportation for the Chinatown community. This neighborhood-level transportation assessment focuses on key questions about travel patterns, transit service satisfaction, and mobility challenges faced by transit-dependent groups. This project incorporates community surveys, bus stop intercept surveys, and analysis of existing quantitative data to illustrate a comprehensive understanding of transit needs and transit barriers in the Chinatown community. This assessment was developed by the Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC) in response to anticipated SFMTA budget cuts, threatening to reduce transportation services in Chinatown. TRIP plans to use the findings of this assessment to evaluate the impact of potential budget cuts and ensure transit planning aligns with community needs.
The CCDC research team aimed to write inquiries that illustrate the travel patterns, demographics, and transit conditions of buses going through Chinatown. These are the key factors that influence transit riders' satisfaction. CCDC decided to conduct surveys at major Chinatown bus stops, contrary to methods that seek input from Chinatown stakeholders who may not utilize transit. Therefore, this documentation method aims to document the experiences of existing transit riders directly. The survey questions were refined to include only a limited number of questions to minimize the time participants would need to complete the survey in person.
This project collected quantitative and qualitative data to understand better how Chinatown community members utilize SFMTA MUNI service to conduct their travels in Chinatown. This research study employed community surveys to build a robust understanding of the community the surveys comprised of:
Community Tenant Association (CTA) surveys were distributed with 5 questions from the PYRIA survey, which totalled 227 responses. The majority of the respondents are aged 65+.
Ping Yuen Resident Improvement Association (PYRIA) with 10 questions and 38 responses, where the surveyees are residents at the Chinatown Ping Yuen apartment complex
Intercept bus stop surveys that asked transit riders at select Chinatown bus stops, with 2,041 responses
A visual bus stop analysis involves volunteers stationed at select bus stops who would record the number of people coming on and off the bus and report whether or not the bus was full, standing, or empty to reflect qualitative capacity needs.
Journey Map highlighting the different addresses coming from around the city to the Chinatown Rose Pak Station
| Community Survey Questions | ||
|---|---|---|
| CTA | PYRIA | Intercept Bus Stop |
| What is your age? | ||
| Public transit or walking is my only option for traveling to and around Chinatown. | ||
| What do you come to Chinatown for? | What is the purpose of your trip today? | |
| What mode of travel do you typically use to get to Chinatown? | What is one thing you want to see improved on your transportation route? | |
| If you do not take public transit, why not? | Are you a San Francisco Resident? | |
| What transportation improvements would you like to see, if any? | ||
| If you are not a resident of Chinatown, what neighborhood do you come from? | ||
| How often do you come to Chinatown? | ||
| If you take the bus or train, what lines do you use? | ||
| Questions/Comments/ Concerns | ||
Community Tenant Association Survey Presentation
