Merge pull request #77 from uwescience/website/abstract

Make abstract concise

Author: himanshunaidu

index.md

@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@ Ishan Saksena
 
 # Abstract or executive summary
 
-Transit service is a public good, and quality service for all transit users, especially transit-dependent populations, is essential for improving access to opportunities. Transit agencies typically lack knowledge about transit usage patterns. Understanding current gaps and inequities in service can help transit agencies improve service, encourage increased use, and reduce environmental impacts. Transit fare card data describes actual transit use. Its analysis allows assessment of the equity of the existing transit system, can describe gaps in services being provided, illustrate specific locations where effective improvements need to be made, and identify changes in route structure that would better serve riders.
+Transit service is a public good, that is essential for improving access to opportunities, especially transit-dependent populations. Transit agencies typically lack knowledge about transit usage patterns. Transit fare card data describes actual transit use. Analyzing fare card data, can help identify service gaps and inequities, guiding improvements to enhance service quality, increase ridership, and reduce environmental impacts.
 
-Fare card data is a form of trace data which can be used to identify individuals and their movements through time and space. This project will access and analyze fare card data from the ORCA system—the regional electronic payment system used by transit agencies throughout the Puget Sound region in Washington State. ORCA is a massive and sensitive dataset that allows for analysis of large numbers of people over multiple months. ORCA has specific classes of fare cards, allowing for identification and analysis of trip characteristics for specific types of priority transit users such as users with subsidized passes due to low-incomes or disabilities (e.g., frequency and number of trips and transfers, wait time for transfers, type routes used). By examining actual transit use of anonymized riders against geographic and demographic characteristics, we can identify where transit system improvements need to be made (e.g., new routes to better serve important movements, changed route structures to lower transfer times, transit stop improvements such as shelters where many people transfer) to improve the quality of services being provided, with emphasis on demographic populations most dependent on transit.
+This project analyzes fare card data from the ORCA system used in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. ORCA data, which includes different fare card classes, enables the analysis of transit usage among priority groups, such as people with low-income or disabilities. By examining actual transit use of anonymized riders against geographic and demographic characteristics, this project identifies where transit system improvements need to be made to improve the quality of services being provided, with emphasis on demographic populations most dependent on transit.