UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has left future travel to work behavior uncertain since most office employees have not yet returned to commuting to five days per week. This uncertainty underscores the precarious future of American commuter rail, with existing rail service narrowly focused on connecting suburbs to downtown employment centers. The goal of this project is to answer the following question: what factors motivate travelers to switch from driving alone to riding commuter rail? The recommendations of this study were informed by a literature review, two surveys conducted with existing and potential Metrolink riders, and a review of other commuter rail agencies’ pandemic ridership and recovery efforts. Research focused on how to incentivize mode shift through a behavioral science perspective has provided ideas that broadly fall into three categories: “try transit” exposure programs; technologies that are either gamification-based apps or trip planning tools that provide information and rewards to people considering transit usage; and targeted marketing campaigns to attract new riders. Survey participants from this study reflected higher engagement and interest in Metrolink amongst low-income households, older riders, lapsed riders, people who have never used Metrolink, and riders mostly interested in using service for leisure trips. The surveys provided insights about the criteria that existing and potential Metrolink riders consider when choosing commuter rail, including feeling secure from crime, convenient train schedules, cleanliness onboard trains, and on-time performance. Metrolink riders expressed the need for increased access to real-time information, more transit connections offered at stations, and more affordable fare options. Other commuter rail agencies such as Caltrain, BART, Long Island Railroad, NJ Transit, and Metra all have found similar ridership trends and offer ideas for service improvement, marketing campaigns, and mode shift incentives that Metrolink should consider.