Development of a ridership forecasting tool for small public transit systems using GIS

Transit systems are under constant pressure to provide cost-effective service that is convenient, frequent and reliable. In smaller Canadian municipalities this pressure is exacerbated by low staffing levels and a necessary focus on day-to-day transit operations. Little time is available to pursue planning initiatives that would facilitate long-term system improvements, ultimately leading to ridership growth.;The developed GIS-based tool uses data from the Statistics Canada Census and other readily available GIS information obtained from the City of Ottawa. The tool incorporates data related to demographics, travel to work patterns and information about major trip generators. It was tested through a case study of a suburban community in the City of Ottawa.;This thesis develops an analytical tool to assess transit ridership potential for the purpose of strategic transit planning. The intent is to supplement best practices in order to assist small transit systems in their planning efforts. Information related to advances in the transit applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a focal point.