Transit Impacts Research Program (TIRP)

The Transit Impacts Research Program (TIRP) studies the contributions of transit to mobility, economic development and job access, equity and opportunity, public well-being and safety, and sustainability. The program aims to provide information to optimize transportation investments, regional connectivity, and system effectiveness.

The program was launched in 2006 to study the impacts of investments in Twin Cities transitways. In 2023, the program's scope was expanded to include analysis of the overall transit system, including potential projects throughout Minnesota.

Active Research

• Value of Dedicated Right-of-Way: Transit Service Reliability and User Impacts 
  Principal Investigator: Ying Song
• Strategies for Promoting Rider Connections to Suburban Transitway Stations 
  Principal Investigator: Jason Cao

Recently Completed Research

• Transfer Behavior and Off-Peak Commutes (2024)
  Principal Investigator: Alireza Khani
  Provides insights into evolving transit behaviors and highlights the importance of the transitway system in facilitating efficient travel.
  • Final Report (PDF)
  • Research Brief (PDF)
     
• The Values of Dedicated Right of Way to Transit Ridership and Carbon Emissions (2024)
  Principal Investigator: Jason Cao
  Examines the value of dedicated right-of-way in increasing transit ridership and reducing carbon emissions, offering insights for the Twin Cities and similar regions. 
  • Final Report (PDF)
  • Research Brief 
  • Article: Dedicated transit lanes help attract riders, reduce carbon emissions
     
• Assessing the Effects of Highway Improvements on Adjacent Businesses (2023) 
  Principal Investigator: Yingling Fan
  Analyzes how state-funded highway improvement projects in the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area affected businesses in adjacent Census tracts.
  • Final Report (PDF)
  • Research Brief
  • Article: Research explores the impacts of highway, transitway construction on nearby businesses
     
• Transitway Development and Commercial Gentrification (2022) 
  Principal Investigator: Yingling Fan 
  Investigates the effects of transitway development between 2000 and 2019 on businesses along transit corridors in the Twin Cities metropolitan region, specifically, commercial gentrification along the Blue Line, the Green Line, and the A Line.
  • Final Report (PDF)
  • Research Brief
  • Article: Research explores the impacts of highway, transitway construction on nearby businesses
     
• Addressing Accessibility and Equity along Transitways (Design) (2021) 
  Principal Investigator: Thomas Fisher 
  Presents a mixed-methods toolkit for use in community engagement as part of transitway planning and design. This is Part 2 of a two-part study.
  • Final Report (PDF)
  • TIRP Digital Engagement Platforms spreadsheet (XLSX)
  • Research Brief (PDF)
     
• Addressing Accessibility and Equity Along Transitways: Toward a Mixed Methods Toolkit - Part 1 (2021) 
  Principal Investigator: Andrew Owen
  Presents the results of a transit accessibility analysis for the B, D, E, Gold, and Rush Line transitways in the Twin Cities and evaluates census block level access to grocery stores, healthcare facilities, and high schools.
  • Final Report (PDF)
  • Research Brief (PDF)
     

• The Impact of Transitways on Travel on Parallel and Adjacent Roads and Park-and-ride Facilities (2021) 
  Principal Investigator: Alireza Khani 
  Investigates two research questions; 1) how many vehicle miles traveled (VMT) are influenced as a result of transitway projects in their impact zones, and 2) what factors affect the utility of park-and-ride facilities for commute trips in the Twin Cities region?

  • Final Report (PDF)
  • Research Brief (PDF)

   

See all completed research