Course:VANT149/2025/Capstone/Science/Team15
Are They Related? Investigating the Link Between Public Transit and Traffic Congestion in Los Angeles (2013–2022)
Abstract
This study examines whether there is a correlation between public transportation use and traffic congestion based on statistics for Los Angeles from 2013 to 2022. A comparative analysis of total annual motor vehicle traffic and annual ridership on public transit (all bus and subway lines combined) was conducted to test whether there is a statistical correlation between the two. In terms of trends, between 2013 and 2019, transit ridership has continued to decline while motor vehicle traffic has generally increased, showing some inverse change characteristics. However, the regression analysis results show that the correlation between the two is not significant, indicating that this relationship may be interfered with and influenced by other factors. The study suggests that urban transportation systems are highly complex, and that variables such as telecommuting, urban sprawl, and changes in travel habits may be related to both public transportation and road congestion. Although the current data are not sufficient to prove a clear causal relationship, this project provides a direction and foundation for further research.
Keywords: transportation, ridership, traffic congestion, LA
Biographies
Person 1
Yake Zhang is a first-year Vantage Science student at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on the relationship between public transit ridership and traffic congestion in Los Angeles from 2013 to 2022. He is personally interested in this topic because he wants to explore how data analysis can be used to understand and improve urban mobility systems.
Person 2
Chengxuan Wu is a first-year student in the Vantage One Science program at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on using data science methods to examine whether there is a relationship between transit usage and traffic congestion in Los Angeles. He is personally interested in this topic because he wants to better understand why cities become so congested and explore ways to help reduce that congestion.