LAND USE DEVELOPMENT AND RIDERSHIP AT KELANA JAYA LRT LINE, MALAYSIA

Urbanisation has led to increased traffic use and congestion in various cities around the world. Various policies and strategies have been implemented to address the issue. One of the most popular strategies is the development of transit system, including mass rapid transit (MRT) and light rapid transit (LRT).  To ensure the success of the transit system, the concept of Transit Oriented Development, in which land uses around the stations that are developed for urban development has been implemented. This paper evaluates a possible relationship between land uses around the station and ridership in selected stations along the Kelana Jaya LRT line in the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area, Malaysia. The land uses around the station were calculated using Land Use and Public Transport Accessibility Index (LUPTAI). The research did not conclusively find a strong relationship between LUPTAI and ridership. This was perhaps due to the fact that almost all stations had been developed for urban land uses, such as commercial, residential and public facilities, thus giving all stations almost the same index figures. It is hope that a more detailed index that accounts for type and mixture of development on land, as well as the density for residential areas would probably give a better index result, as well as perhaps a stronger relationship with ridership figures.