For “Taken together, these findings suggest…” questions, translate each data point into a plain-English takeaway, then choose the option that is supported by all the details at once. Avoid choices that (1) contradict a stated statistic, or (2) introduce new causes or groups not mentioned (for example, assuming what new riders used to do).
Hints
- Hint 1
Focus on the planners’ original expectation
Look back at what the planners “anticipated” and then compare that to the results one year later, especially the median commute time.
- Hint 2
Separate the groups of bus services
Pay attention to the difference between what happened to the rapid line and what happened to the remaining feeder routes. Did both kinds of routes change in the same way?
- Hint 3
Think about who the new riders are
Consider what it means that total ridership increased and that 70% of the new riders live within half a mile of rapid stations. What does that say about where the positive effects were strongest?
Step-by-step
- Step 1
Restate the planners’ goal and compare it to the outcome
The planners expected the change would “reduce travel times across the entire district.” But the review found the median door-to-door commute time among surveyed riders was unchanged, so there is no evidence of a districtwide reduction in typical commute time.
- Step 2
Compare performance on the rapid line vs. feeder routes
On-time performance improved on the rapid line (68% to 89%) but declined on feeder routes (74% to 61%). That pattern suggests service improvements were not uniform across the system.
- Step 3
Use ridership and location data to infer who benefited most
Ridership rose by 20%, and 70% of new riders lived within half a mile of rapid stations. That concentration near rapid stations points to benefits being strongest for people close to the rapid line rather than evenly distributed across the district.
- Step 4
Select the inference best supported by all details
Because reliability improved on the rapid line, worsened on feeder routes, overall median commute time did not change, and new riders were concentrated near rapid stations, the findings most strongly suggest the project's benefits were concentrated among residents near the rapid line rather than spread across the district.