This conjecture idea is a daily poll, voting for where the bus should go. Because the circulator will not be a multi-bus system, it is limited in places it can go. This concept allows the users to choose where they need to go most each day. Via an app, people who want to use the bus that day can vote on the top location they want to go to by 8am. Then, the bus will start making rounds and picking people up all over Upper Arlington via bus stops, and then bring everyone to the location that was voted on. The bus will do this two times in the day, giving people flexibility with times to go. This gives the bus riders control over the priority places to go. It will be efficient as the people won’t have to wait as long to get to their destination.
Looking at this conjecture critically, it addresses the major concern of directness that primary research has indicated is a desired feature for transportation. People want to be able to get from one place to another, without having to switch busses and make several stops out of the way. With that said, I am not sure how efficient it is still to pick everyone up, and I wonder if the app could include some sort of reservation system so the bus knew what bus stops to go to. I think the main issue that comes up looking at this conjecture is predictability. While getting to where you need and want to go is a priority, so is predictability and knowing when you can rely on transportation to get you certain places. Maybe having a set schedule would be better for people who want to know they will be able to go certain places that week. Or even a mix of scheduled and open options seems like it would provide the best access. We want to account for diverse wants and needs, while making sure needs of all, not just some, are met.
