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Commute mode share and access to jobs across US metropolitan areas

Author

Listed:
  • Hao Wu
  • David Levinson

    (4334University of Sydney, Australia)

  • Andrew Owen

    (University of Minnesota, USA)

Abstract

How much of the variation in transit mode share is attributable to accessibility is not well understood, despite its significant policy implications. It is hypothesized that better transit accessibility leads to higher transit mode share. This paper explains block group level transit mode share using transit accessibility in a logistic model for 48 major US metropolitan areas. Transit accessibility alone explains much of the variation in transit mode share for all 48 regions despite their geographical differences (adjusted R 2 0.61, potential accessibility); models for individual cities have stable and interpretable parameters for transit accessibility. The models better explain mode share in cities with higher person weighted transit accessibility and larger populations; an adjusted R 2 of 0.76 is achieved for New York City with transit accessibility as the only explanatory variable. Additional automobile accessibility and income variables modestly improve model fit. Time–decay functions fitted to accessibility measures better explain mode choice than the isochrone accessibility, and suggest the catchment area affecting transit mode choice to be within 35 minutes. This work contributes to the understanding of transit mode share by solidifying its link with accessibility, which is determined by the structure of the transport network and land development.

Suggested Citation

  • Hao Wu & David Levinson & Andrew Owen, 2021. "Commute mode share and access to jobs across US metropolitan areas," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 48(4), pages 671-684, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:48:y:2021:i:4:p:671-684
    DOI: 10.1177/2399808319887394
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    Cited by:

    1. Boarnet, Marlon G. & Flores Moctezuma, David & Gross, James, 2022. "New Open-Source Analyses of Transit Job Access and Transit Ridership," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt7t5876bw, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    2. Linlin Liu & Bohong Zheng & Chen Luo & Komi Bernard Bedra & Francis Masrabaye, 2022. "Access to City Center: Automobile vs. Public Transit," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-16, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Access; transit mode share; continuous accessibility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments

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