NewBus Newark

To identify where transit can be effective, efficient, and competitive in providing mobility, it is essential to understand the three D’s of development: density, diversity, and design. Transit is most successful when there are concentrations of both people and jobs (density), a variety of destinations that generate all-day and all-week demand (diversity), and walkable, people-oriented streets (design). How these factors come together impacts the “typology” of a given area. Different typologies each have unique needs and opportunities for transit.

Are there enough people and jobs present to generate demand for transit?

Denser areas are ideal for transit because they concentrate a large number of people within a smaller geography, so the bus does not have to travel as far to find riders. Essex County is the 15th densest county in the country, home to over 800,000 residents. Newark alone is home to about 280,000 residents, with 96% of Newark residents living within a half mile of a stop on one of the 38 study routes.

Jobs are another important aspect of density. Providing good transit service to major job centers is a key part of a successful transit network. Travel to work is the number one trip purpose for NJ TRANSIT bus riders, accounting for 70% of the trips made by transit users. There are 145,000 jobs within the City of Newark, and 80% of these jobs are within a half mile walk of one of these 38 transit routes.

Is there a diversity of destinations for people to access on transit?

Transit is most successful when routes serve a variety of destinations, including housing, job centers, grocery stores, medical facilities, social services, schools, and shopping malls. The integration of different types of land uses in Newark creates an ideal environment for transit, providing a variety of origins and destinations on each corridor. In suburban communities, single-use development limits transit’s usefulness.

Are the street networks designed to promote walkability and access to major corridors?

Dense, urban environments with short, straight blocks, and continuous streets are ideal for transit, as it makes it easy for riders to access bus stops. Pedestrian related infrastructure, such as sidewalks and signalized intersections, increases pedestrian safety and can make riders feel more comfortable accessing bus stops.

Alternatively, lower-density suburban environments with long blocks, discontinuous streets, and limited access to major corridors are more difficult to serve with fixed-route transit. Riders may have to walk significant distances to access a bus stop.

The density, diversity, and design in each part of the study area combine to form market typologies, each with different a different role for transit to play in providing regional mobility:

1.     Mixed-Use Urban: Ideal for public transit, these areas have high density, a diversity of land uses, and an urban design that work together to create walkable communities with high concentrations of origins and destinations.

2.     Single-Use Urban: These areas have high density and strong pedestrian infrastructure, but lack a diversity of uses. They can support frequent transit, but routes are generally limited to major corridors.

3.     Suburban: Auto-centric areas such as these have low densities and low diversity in uses. These areas are more difficult to serve with fixed-route transit as destinations are fewer, further apart, and may be difficult to access on foot.

A key part of designing an effective transit network is understanding who uses transit, who is more likely to use transit, and where these groups live. Certain demographic characteristics are associated with transit use, with some characteristics, such as lack of access to a personal vehicle, disproportionally common among NJ TRANSIT riders.

Zoom in and out on the maps below to see how different population groups vary across Essex County. You can click on each census block group to see the densities. The darker the color, the higher the density.