Practices in the Development and Deployment of Downtown Circulators

The purpose of this synthesis was to document the state of the practice for transit agencies in terms of development, deployment, and sustainability of downtown circulator systems. It was accomplished through a literature review, transportation/transit agency survey, and case studies. Seven case studies across a geographic range of locations offer additional details on innovative and successful practices, as well as other related issues. These circulator locations include downtowns in Baltimore, Maryland; Hartford, Connecticut; Louisville, Kentucky; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles, California; and Austin, Texas. Thirty-seven completed surveys were received from 42 agencies, yielding an 88% response rate. Results included transit agency assessments of the success of downtown circulators, benefits and drawbacks, desired changes, and lessons learned. Agencies that have discontinued or never implemented downtown circulators were also surveyed to gain an understanding of or the reasoning behind their decisions.