Providing shuttles has a large impact on trips generated by events or entertainment venues, which alleviates the need for parking at the venue, reduces congestion, and can make the experience much smoother. This strategy is most effective when regional agency staff time is provided to coordinate with venues and ensure resources are in place to maintain the shuttle service. Typically shuttle service for private venues are operated by private vendors rather than public transit providers as public agencies must provide services that are open to the public. However, subsidized microtransit services to large hospitality or tourist venues can also provide employees with additional options for mobility other than single occupancy vehicles.
This strategy primarily addresses VMT generated by the tourism and entertainment industry. With the significant amount of travelers the Coachella Valley receives this measure could be very effective for reducing annual and ongoing VMT concerns.
For more details, see Victoria Transport Policy Institute – Special Event Transport Management for VMT reduction quantification.
Ensure multilingual digital materials and pre-registration tools are accessible to non-English speakers and users without smartphones. Partnering with community-based organizations ensures outreach reaches marginalized groups. Providing shuttle access and bike valet to off-site lots can improve access for people without cars or with mobility constraints, especially during high-attendance events.
Primarily requires staff coordination and private-sector participation. Event organizers, venues, hotels, and businesses can contribute toward shuttle operations, while public funding may support transportation planning, temporary traffic management, transit service, or park-and-ride facilities. Potential sources include local transportation funds, transit agency operating resources, event-generated revenues, and eligible state or federal transportation grants.
SacRT provides dedicated transit access to Golden 1 Center, Sacramento’s major sports and entertainment venue. The agency promotes bus and light rail as convenient transportation options for games, concerts, and other events, demonstrating how transit agencies can integrate major event destinations into regular transit planning and rider information.
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority provides special-event transit service to Levi’s Stadium for games, concerts, and other major events. VTA’s event transportation program includes additional pre-event and post-event bus and light rail service, park-and-ride options, trip-planning information, and connections with BART and Caltrain. The program demonstrates how a transit agency can coordinate expanded service, regional connections, and passenger information to accommodate concentrated travel demand associated with major events.
