Unraveling transit service and land use components of the socio-spatial inequality of access

Abstract

This study proposes a framework that delineates the mobility and place components of access to help identify areas potentially suffering from insufficient transit service, limited job opportunities, or both. The framework introduces Spatial Inequality of Transit Services (SITS) and Spatial Inequality of Opportunities (SIO) measures to guide the structural reform of transit development policies through the lens of equity, equality, and need. It is tested on transit access to employment opportunities at the block group level in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Three observations are perceived. First, mobility and place components of access should be untangled to tailor effective transit and land use plans and policies. Second, transit services are less equally distributed than employment opportunities and disproportionately serve the residents of core cities. Third, carless and low-income households disproportionally reside in areas with better transit services regardless of their proximity to employment opportunities, and African Americans are discriminated against the most by the unequal distribution of employment opportunities. The findings serve as an essential input for developing regional transit plans and may be utilized to evaluate and prioritize proposed interventions based on their potential to reduce observed access deficiencies. However, further targeted research on residential location choice is necessary to delve into the decision-making processes, understand underlying motivations, identify potential barriers in seeking alternative options, and determine if it is a result of self-selection.