Choosing viable transportation options for everyday activities is a big step in decreasing an individual’s carbon footprint and leading a more sustainable lifestyle. Every day, people opt to use public transit, ride a bicycle, or carpool to decrease their carbon footprint. In many cases, though, an individual’s ability to practice sustainable transportation can only be as successful as the public transit infrastructure within their city. Just as it can be less appealing to commute by bicycle without designated bike lanes, it is inherently more difficult to successfully utilize a public transit system that does not align with the wants and needs of its users.
Student researchers in CPP 201: Next Generation Service Corps (NGSC) Community Impact Lab, a course focused on service learning opportunities and human-centered design, were faced with the challenge of increasing ridership of the Peoria on the Go (POGO) public circulator, specifically youth ridership ages 12-18. Students identified two root causes of low youth ridership during their research: general perception of public transportation and a lack of services dedicated to the needs of youth riders. To address these targeted issues, student researchers developed strategies to understand further the community perception of public transportation. Youth community members were surveyed and interviewed, and their responses were used to establish directly beneficial suggestions for improving the POGO system. Recommendations detailed in this report will address community perceptions of transportation, strategic route and schedule adjustment, a variety of marketing and educational opportunities, and mobile application improvement.
Making public transportation more accessible and attractive to youth residents in Peoria can be a critical stride in establishing a culture of sustainability throughout the city. Through key improvements to the POGO system and a regular, systematic gathering of feedback, POGO has the potential to become a well-used community amenity that serves the residents and tourists alike while contributing to sustainable transportation practices.