Transit Access and Zero-Vehicle Households
Posted by Content Coordinator on Friday, August 19th, 2011
BROOKINGS INSTITUTION
Introduction
Americans possess a well-documented dependency on the automobileâ€"and nowhere is that clearer than in how Americans travel to work. Over three-quarters of commuters drive alone to work, with another 10 percent carpooling. Considering that Americans registered over 133 million private and commercial vehicles in 2009, it makes sense that so many people would drive. However, there remain over 10 million American households who do not own a private vehicle.
Not only do these households live without access to a personal vehicle, but these zero-vehicle households also must commute in an employment environment particularly unsuited to their travel options. The United States added over 655,000 roadway lane miles since 1980, leading to the rapid decentralization of housing and jobs. Such decentralization leaves a zero-vehicle household’s most likely travel modesâ€"transit, walking, and bikingâ€"at a structural disadvantage due to ever growing distances between locations.
Census data imply that the majority of these zero-vehicle households face economic constraints to automobile ownership. Not only are cars themselves expensive, but households with lower incomes may also face higher costs for financing a car. Used cars offer a cheaper sticker price but tend to incur higher annual operating costs. Not owning a car may impart further economic disadvantage as well, as workers with cars work more hours per week than those without cars, enabling them to earn higher incomes.
Based on these environmental and economic disadvantages, public policy has a responsibility to improve transportation accessibility for zero-vehicle households. First, it should ensure that people who are most constrained in their transportation choicesâ€"low-income zero-vehicle householdsâ€"have access to viable transportation options. Second, it should expand transportation options for all households, including those who can afford a car but choose not to, because of the attendant environmental and economic benefits.
To meet these responsibilities, policymakers need a strong understanding of zero-vehicle households’ geographic distribution and demographic characteristics. That understanding should inform the response of metropolitan transit systems to these households’ transportation needs. Brookings’ “Missed Opportunity†report found that large metropolitan areas face a transit paradox. Transit agencies offer at least basic fixed route transit service to a majority of their working-age population, but those same services fall short on connecting workers to jobs. Do zero-vehicle households face this same paradox?
This brief begins by profiling zero-vehicle households: who they are, what they earn, and where they live. Next, using a comprehensive “supply side†transportation model, the brief examines how many zero-vehicle households have an opportunity to use transit and if that service helps them reach metropolitan job opportunities. It concludes with a discussion of the implications for public policy.
Download the full version (PDF): Transit Access and Zero-Vehicle Households
About Brookings Institution
www.brookings.edu
“The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations that advance three broad goals:
* Strengthen American democracy;
* Foster the economic and social welfare, security and opportunity of all Americans and
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Tags: Brookings Institution, Transit Access and Zero-Vehicle Households
http://www.infrastructureusa.org/transit-access-and-zero-vehicle-households/
QuoteHonolulu is the best performer out of all 100 metro areasâ€"and the only metro to break 70 percent average
job accessâ€"followed by Salt Lake City, Tucson, and San Jose. In all, 13 of the 20 best job access levels
for zero-vehicle households belong to Western metros. Some of the country’s largest metropolitan areas
are also top performers. New York, Washington, and San Francisco all rank among the top 20. And since
these three metro areas house 33 percent of all zero-vehicle households, they also positively inf uence the
aggregate 100-metro performance.
At the other end of the spectrum, Southern metros dominate the list of lowest job access levels (by transit). Eleven (11)
of the 20 worst performing metros are in the South, including six of the eight largest Florida metros.
http://www.infrastructureusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/0818_transportation_tomer.pdf
Wow, look at that!!
Working with our "homeboys" hasn't really done much for us so far!
While Honollulu ranks #1 for job access by public transportation, Metro Jacksonville ranks 58th among America's top 100 metro areas.
See list at the end of this report:
http://www.infrastructureusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/0818_transportation_tomer.pdf
Orlando ranks 65th.
Miami ranks 8th.............not bad at all!!!
Answer by a Brookings Institute author of the report:
QuoteThe “6 out of 8†statistic you referenced refers to our follow-up zero vehicle household report. In that case, the statistic only references job access rankings for those households, not the broad combined access measures that we both originally mentioned.
Bradenton â€" 26.5% (Rank: 81)
Lakeland â€" 23.0% (Rank: 88)
Miami â€" 19.7% (Rank: 92)
Orlando â€" 19.6% (Rank: 93)
Palm Bay â€" 8.3% (Rank: 100)
Tampa â€" 18.5% (Rank: 94)