Bus Transportation Analysis
Goal
Objective
Identify and analyze the shortcomings of our campus bussing system services by conducting user research to provide recommendations.
Team
Annika Hauser-Brydon and Rena Huang
Role
Lead Writer, Information Architect, UX Researcher
Tools & Methods
Systems Thinking, Google Suite, MSU Mobility Plan
Timeline
November - December 2023
Background
What is CATA?
CATA stands for the Capital Area Transportation Authority, the organization that provides mobility services for the Greater Lansing Area, primarily in the form of its bussing service.
What is Systems Thinking?
Systems thinking is an approach to problem-solving that views issues as part of a larger system. Instead of focusing solely on the immediate problem, it considers how all the pieces interconnect to form the bigger picture.
Research
Preliminary Research
Before engaging with users, we looked at pre-existing research to understand the traffic conditions on Michigan State University’s campus. Specifically, we looked for reports on traffic congestion and patterns on campus. We found most of this data from the MSU Mobility Plan. Several significant figures were located in this report, including the fact that from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, MSU has a “rush hour” every hour in the 20 minutes between classes (Bauer, et. al.). This crucial piece of information provided insight into how necessary an efficient bussing system is for MSU’s campus.
Campus Wide User Research Survey
This was conducted to gather information about what was the difference in rates between modes of transportation, how people access the information, and investigate the pain points of the users.
The people we surveyed were a combination of MSU students and workers. From this survey we learned that:
- 76.5% take the bus as their means of transportation
- To plan bus wait times and locations: