Social equity impacts of rail transit investments using community perceptions: evidence from Chongqing

Urban transit systems have differential impacts across population groups, including the perceptions of impacts. Nevertheless, the evaluation of difference in perceived benefits of transport investment is under researched, and few attempts have been made to quantify the extent to which transport provision meets users’ requirements. This paper explores how the impact of rail transit on development and regeneration differs across different income groups and migrants, assessing equity dimensions that arise through surveys on residents’ perceptions, using evidence from Chongqing, China. The analysis utilises both MANOVA and discriminant analysis. The result shows that the lowest income group perceives they benefit least from the rail transit impacts, while the highest income group perceives they benefit most. There is a significant unequal perceived benefit distribution between migrants and local residents within the low-income groups. Reflections are made on policies and planning interventions which might be introduced to achieve greater social equity in impacts.