Exploring the Effect of Changing Public Transit on Users’ Behaviour in Saint George’s Square

• Main Author: Rostami Bookani, Saeid
• Other Authors: Burcher, Lise
• Language: en
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Public Transit; Public Square; Saint George's Square
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10214/6633

This study evaluated the influence of changes in public transit routes and hubs on the use and behaviour of people in and adjacent to a public square in a medium-sized southern Ontario city. Pre and post transit change data were obtained using behaviour observation and user interviews over a two-week period. Qualitative data was collected through investigator observations, intercept interviews, and field notes. The removal of the transit hub from the square resulted in 50 percent fewer people post change, although the duration of time spent by users in the square increased. There was also a shift in the type of user. The results indicate that transit hub changes can influence the number and types of users in a public square as well as the duration of use. The implications are that public transit design is an important factor in the planning and design of downtown civic space.