Because the turnover of people using public transit is constant, and transit users tend to be less loyal than users of other modes (Simma and Axhausen, 2003), it is equally important for transit agencies to retain existing customers as it is to attract new ones (Barlow and Clark, 2006; Perk et al., 2008). This means that transit agencies should not only focus on the needs and desires of exiting users, but also explore ways in which new users can be attracted to the public transport system. While traditional ways of attracting new users include various advertising strategies (Transportation Research Board, 2003), another approach is to assess how new users can become attracted to the service by word of mouth. With
this in mind, it has become increasingly important to understand how current transit users can become promoters of the system by being willing to recommend it to a co-worker, friend, or family member.