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Investigating Sustainable Commuting Patterns by Socio-Economic Factors

Author

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  • Woo Jang

    (Department of Geography, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 56001, USA)

  • Fei Yuan

    (Department of Geography, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 56001, USA)

  • Jose Javier Lopez

    (Department of Geography, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 56001, USA)

Abstract

This research aims to analyze how modes of transportation differ according to socio-economic factors in an urban space. The study area is Ramsey County, the most densely populated county in Minnesota. The primary data used were from the recent 2012–2016 Census Transportation Planning Products (CTPP). We performed regression models to identify the relationship between mode of transport and socio-economic variables, and further analyzed disaggregate trip data to provide a more realistic evaluation of commuting patterns by use of multiple variables in combination. The research found that sustainable commuting patterns correlated significantly with both poverty and minority group status, but bore no significant relationship to older workers. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between commuting alone by car with both minority group status and older workers, but not with poverty. This research also confirmed that the sustainable commuting patterns of the working poor were mostly located in the downtown area, while causes of low-income workers driving alone typically involved much longer commutes to and from points throughout the study area, suggesting that more efficient commutes are a significant quality of life factor for the urban poor when evaluating residential and employment opportunities in the central city.

Suggested Citation

  • Woo Jang & Fei Yuan & Jose Javier Lopez, 2021. "Investigating Sustainable Commuting Patterns by Socio-Economic Factors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-14, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:4:p:2180-:d:501275
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Barbora Mazúrová & Ján Kollár & Gabriela Nedelová, 2021. "Travel Mode of Commuting in Context of Subjective Well-Being—Experience from Slovakia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-17, March.

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