Environmental, behavioral, and psychological predictors of transit ridership: Evidence from a community intervention

•We assess who uses transit before and after a new light rail line opens.•Those who use transit at either time are more physically active.•Continuing riders live near transit on blocks with walkable destinations.•Place attachment at time 1 predicts new and continuing ridership time 2.•For the above two groups, pro-city attitudes mediate the effect.

Understanding who takes advantage of new transit (public transportation) interventions is important for personal and environmental health. We examine transit ridership for residents living near a new light rail construction as part of “complete street,” pedestrian-friendly improvements. Adult residents (n = 536) completed surveys and wore accelerometer and GPS units that tracked ridership before and after new transit service started. Transit riders were more physically active. Those from environments rated as more walkable were likely to be continuing transit riders. Place attachment, but not perceived physical incivilities on the path to transit, was associated with those who continued to ride or became new riders of transit. This effect was mediated through pro-city attitudes, which emphasize how the new service makes residents eager to explore areas around transit. Thus, place attachment, along with physical and health conditions, may be important predictors and promoters of transit use.