Causal Effect of New Bus Rapid Transit on Non-Work-Related Activities

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.