Data to drive future transit safety improvements on Cape Cod

Passengers on Cape Cod’s public transportation network have a variety of ways to catch a ride, but by far, the most popular way is to flag a bus down anywhere along its route. While convenient, this method does pose some safety challenges.    

To help assess the most popular access points, the Cape Cod Commission and Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority collaborated to develop an online tool that, using ridership data from 2022, shows where riders are getting on and off the bus.   

This data helps visualize the most popular areas for embarking and disembarking, showing the high use of flag stops. This information will help assess where it might make sense to upgrade infrastructure, such as adding bus stops, lighting, signage, crosswalks, and sidewalks.  

Users can access the tool to view data points for all Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority fixed route bus routes.  

The analysis will help inform a non-motorist safety study aimed at improving safety for transit riders, pedestrians, and bicyclists region wide. It will also help increase opportunities to secure transit funding for bus stop improvements. 

A companion tool to the ridership app is the Prioritizing Non-Motorist Infrastructure Viewer, which combines transit ridership data with the region’s sidewalk and path infrastructure to identify and prioritize sidewalk gaps. This tool visualizes existing infrastructure and risk indexes to improve safety for non-motorists. This online tool showcases non-motorist infrastructure – like sidewalks and bike lanes - in and around multifamily housing on Cape Cod to ensure that people living in multifamily developments can conveniently and safely get around without a car.