Vacationers Prefer to "Travel Like a Local" Using Public Transportation as More Than 124 Million Americans Are Planning to Visit Top U.S. Cities This Summer

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the summer travel season kicks off, 124 million Americans are planning to vacation in a U.S. city, continuing a trend from recent years. The American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) annual "Travel Like a Local" Summer Travel Survey reports that public transportation will be highly utilized by these travelers looking for the most cost effective and worry-free form of transportation – especially Millennials and adults under 45.   

According to the survey, more than half (58 percent) of those visiting U.S. cities plan to utilize public transportation for at least one activity. More than a quarter of these travelers say the availability of public transportation impacted their decision to travel to a particular city.

Among Millennials (18-34) and adults under 45, 67 percent confirmed that they plan to use public transportation during their trip to a major U.S. city or metropolitan area this summer. According to the travel survey, public transportation options make travel more cost effective and stress free for all ages. Seventy-four percent of travelers will use public transportation because it is less expensive than taxis or rental cars, with 73 percent saying public transportation relieves them of the worry of finding parking.

"Travelers have discovered one of the best ways to experience everything a community has to offer is to use public transportation," said Peter Varga, CEO of the Rapid of Grand Rapids Michigan and Chair of APTA. "They don't have to worry about driving and parking in unfamiliar locations, they have easy access to popular sites and attractions and their vacation dollars go farther, boosting local economic activity."

APTA's survey found that two out of five vacationers will use public transportation to experience restaurant dining and local nightlife, while also continuing to use it during the day for general sightseeing and shopping.

"From streetcars to buses, and trains to ferries, our cities offer a diversity of public transit options for both local residents and new visitors," said Michael Melaniphy, President and CEO of APTA. "Most public transit systems are leading the way with smart phone apps to help visitors easily navigate a city. Our nation's public transit systems are woven into the fabric of our communities." 

The demographics that seek public transit are expansive. While Millennials and adults under 45 lead the demand for public transportation, they were closely followed by the 45-64 year-olds; 54 percent of this age bracket had a strong preference for using public transportation to get around their city destination. More than half of vacationers with incomes of $75,000 and more will rely on it throughout their trip as well. Among families, a majority of travelers with children (55 percent) will use public transportation during their city visit. Additionally, the demand for public transit is not contained to one region of the country. All areas expressed a desire to use public transportation, especially the Northeast (62 percent) and the West (60 percent).

These travelers are flocking to destinations all across the country. The hottest urban travel destination for 2014 was once again New York City, along with 14 additional cities:   

1. New York      
2. Orlando
3. Miami
4. Washington D.C.
5. San Diego
6. Dallas
7. Chicago
8. Philadelphia
9. Boston  
10. San Francisco
11. Las Vegas
12. Los Angeles
13. St. Louis
14. Seattle
15. Atlanta

As Americans embrace city vacations, APTA is issuing a series of insider guides for some of the top city destinations. These tips provide insight into local public transit idiosyncrasies, unspoken protocols and general advice to help vacationers "travel like a local" and avoid public transit faux paux. This information shows how easy it is to navigate a city by using the local public transit system. 

For more details on how you can "Travel Like a Local" this summer, visit www.publictransportation.org.

The APTA 2014 "Travel like a Local" Summer Travel Survey was conducted by TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence and includes 1,004 interviews using a Random Digit Dial sample of both landline and cell phone numbers. At the 95 percent confidence level, the margin of error is +/-3.2 percentage points.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit international association of 1,500 public and private sector organizations, engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne services, and intercity and high-speed passenger rail.  This includes: transit systems; planning, design, construction, and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; transit associations and state departments of transportation.  APTA is the only association in North America that represents all modes of public transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services and products.  More than 90 percent of the people using public transportation in the United States and Canada ride APTA member systems.

Contact: Mantill Williams 
(202) 496-4869
[email protected]

SOURCE American Public Transportation Association