Transit = Opportunity

The Critical Role of Public Transit

September 15, 2015

Outline

What is the problem?

Why is transit relevant to issues of poverty & opportunity?
How does public transit affect opportunity?
What does the research show?
What more can transit do to improve access to opportunities?

What is the problem?

% of People below the
Poverty Level

% of Households without
an automobile

City of Savannah

25.9%

7.9%

Chatham County

19.1%

12.9%

In order to escape poverty

you must be able to access opportunity

Why is it relevant?
Transportation is a nearly universal requirement for all jobs
Employers expect staff to be able to show up on time get to work.

Infrastructure currently supports one mode of transportation

above all others: private automobile.
Walking, biking, and transit make up less than 10% of commuters in
Chatham County.

Low income individuals and families pay a larger share of their

income for transportation and face difficult choices about
how to use scarce resources.

Put simply, access to affordable

commuting options is a key factor
in the economic mobility of the
working poor.
(Roberto, Commuting to
Opportunity, 2008)

Graphic Sources
A Heavy Load: The Combined Housing and Transportation Burdens of Working Families, Lipman, Center for Housing Policy (2006)
http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/23/news/economy/poor-spending/

Increase Opportunities for Low Income Families

Location Matters
Employment centers without transit service simply prevent those who
most need jobs from getting them.

Limited Transit = Limited Opportunities

Limiting transit service limits opportunities for those seeking work.

Shorter Commute Time = More Stable Communities

Time spent traveling to and from work cannot be spent with family,
community, education, or any other activity.

How does Public Transit Affect Access to Opportunity?

Location of Transit Stops
Does the service take me
where the jobs are?

Frequency of Service
When my plans change, can I
still use transit?

Span of Service
Can I use transit for early
morning and late night shifts?

Speed of Travel
Does the transit provider
value my time?

Reliability
Can I count on transit to be
there when I expect it?

Cost / Fare
How much will I save
compared to my options?

Where do jobs and transit line up in our county?

LHED, 2013

Dont take my word for it

Commute Time Matters
Equality of Opportunity study
Found that Commuting Time is the strongest indicator of a low income
familys chances of escaping poverty. Shorter commute times were
associated with a higher probability of improved economic situation.
This association was stronger than crime, test scores, or two-parent
families. This study tracked over 5 million people who moved during
the 1980s and 1990s and controlled a variety of factors. (NY Times,
5/7/2015, Transportation Emerges as Crucial to Escaping Poverty,
Mikayla Bouchard)

Dont take my word for it

High Cost of Driving
Commuting to Opportunity study
Driving to work is the most expensive commuting option for all
workers and also imparts the highest cost burden for workers. Among
the working poor, those who drive to work have a higher cost burden
of commuting (8.4 %) than the working poor who use public transit
(5.8 %). Both figures exceed the cost burden for other workers who
drive (4.5 % of income) or take public transit (2.9 % of income).
(Roberto, Commuting to Opportunity, Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program, 2008).

Dont take my word for it

Benefits to Employers
Employee Turnover study
Recent research shows that access to fixed route bus transit confers
benefits to low income workers and to the companies that hire them
by reducing turnover. When employers can retain staff, they avoid
costs for training and human resources and transit service was found
to be a significant indicator of increased employee retention (Faulk &
Hicks, The impact of bus transit on employee turnover: evidence
from quasi-experimental samples Urban Studies. 2015)

What Can CAT Do?

Ensure that CAT riders can access all of our areas employment
destinations
Help local employers understand the value of transit services
to their staff and the community
Respond to new funding initiatives that encourage the
expansion of opportunity by using transit
Partnership for Sustainable Communities
Ladders of Opportunity