Transit Services for Sprawling Areas with Relatively Low Demand Density: A Pilot Study in the Texas Border's Colonias (UTCM 07-02)

The colonias along the Texas-Mexico border are one of the most rapidly growing areas in Texas. Because of the relatively low-income of the residents and an inadequate availability of transportation services, the need for basic social activities for the colonias cannot be properly met. The objective of this study is a to have a better comprehension of the status quo of this communities, examine the potential demand for an improved transportation service as well as evaluate the capacity and optimum service time interval of a new demand responsive transit "feeder" service within one representative colonia, El Cenizo. We present a comprehensive analysis of the results of a survey conducted through a questionnaire to evaluate the existing travel patterns and the potential demand for a feeder service. The results from the subsequent simulation analysis showed that a single shuttle would be able to comfortably serve 150 passengers/day and that the optimal headway between consecutive departures from the terminal should be between 11-13 minutes for best service quality. This exploratory study should serve as a first step towards improving transportation services within these growing underprivileged communities, especially for those with demographics and geometry similar to our target area of El Cenizo.