Which Advertising Techniques Increase Stated Preference for Microtransit

Abstract:

Microtransit refers to demand-responsive transit options (e.g., vans, minibuses) designed to connect users to core transit networks such as fixed-route bus and rail systems. In the United States and Canada, microtransit is often promoted as a means of linking lower-density suburban areas to the broader transit network and expanding the transit user base. However, attracting users in areas with historically low transit usage requires more than improving connectivity; it also depends on effective public messaging. We conduct a randomized survey experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative microtransit advertising messages. Respondents are exposed to a baseline informational message, a social message emphasizing environmental benefits, and a financial message emphasizing cost savings. We find that both the social and financial messages increase stated support for microtransit relative to the baseline, with the financial message consistently producing the largest effects. Methodologically, we extend the estimation framework developed in Smith and Wooten (2023) and Smith et al. (2025) to accommodate bounded Likert-scale survey outcomes with unequal probability structure at both the upper and lower ends of the response scale. We provide accompanying open-source estimation software to facilitate adoption of the proposed approach in applied research.

Working Paper