Brookings Compares 'Zero-Vehicle Households' To Those With Vehicles

Not to be confused with zero-emission-vehicles, the Brookings Institution looks primarily at the demographics and access to jobs of what they define as zero-vehicle households. Access to vehicles reveals equity (income) and urban vs. suburban issues.

1 minute read

August 21, 2011, 11:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid

While the thrust of the report is to show the need to improve job accessibility via transit for these households, it also shows revealing demographic differences when these households are compared with to those with access to motor vehicles.

"In the nation's largest metropolitan areas, 7.5 million households do not have access to a private automobile. A majority of these zero-vehicle households live in cities and earn lower incomes. Conversely, households with vehicles tend to live in suburbs and earn middle or higher incomes"

"Over 90 percent of zero-vehicle households in large metropolitan areas live in neighborhoods with access to transit service of some kind. This greatly exceeds the 68 percent coverage rate for households with a vehicle, suggesting transit service aligns with households who rely on it most."

The findings of the 14-page report (PDF) are based on an "analysis of data from the American Community Survey and 371 transit providers in the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas..."

Thanks to Metropolitan Policy Program

Read the full story: MISSED OPPORTUNITY: Transit Access and Zero-Vehicle Households

Thursday, August 18, 2011 in The Brookings Institution

Social / Demographics Transportation United States Zero Vehicle Households Brookings Institution. Access To Jobs

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