A record 10.7 billion rides were taken on public transit in the United States last year. And a national survey of Americans finds that the speed, reliability, and cost, more than any other factors, determine people’s willingness and frequency of use.
The survey of 11,842 adults in 46 Metropolitan Statistical Areas, 60% of whom live in “transit progressive” cities, also found that far more Americans want to live in mixed-use, walkable communities than actually do.
“That’s significant news, not just for planners, but for the real estate industry as well,” wrote David Bragdon, executive director of TransitCenter, a New York-based public policy and advocacy organization, which conducted the poll.
Bragdon asserted that, unlike other public utilities, mass transit is “personal,” and that receptivity to using mass transit is highly dependent on riders’ relationships with it in such areas as efficiency, cleanliness, proximity to stations, and how quickly they get to their destinations.
TransitCenter concluded that transit use is, ultimately, attitudinal. But this inference is a little quirky. Baby boomers who grew up in an era of mass-transit expansion are now far more resistant to using these systems than Millennials who “embrace” mass transit, said the survey.
Graphs courtesy TransitCenter
If you’re an ethnic minority, you are more likely to be a transit rider. Nearly two-fifths of African-Americans polled use mass transit at least once a week, and 22% use it three or four times a week. More than 30% of Hispanics ride buses and trains once a week, and one-fifth use these modes three or four times weekly. In contrast, only 10% of whites ride mass transit weekly, and only 5% use these modes more frequently.
The survey also found correlations between usage and income: high-income Americans are not big riders.
Some perceptions about transit use get debunked: for example, just because you’re a parent doesn’t mean you use transit systems less, although the survey found that parents aged 30 or younger are more positively inclined towards mass transit than older parents.
Students are frequent riders, but higher education is not much of a determining factor about who uses transit systems. That being said, a neighborhood’s employment rate certainly has a positive impact on rider frequency, and the survey found that employees are using transit benefits when their employers offer them.
The top predictor of use, according to the survey, is what kind of neighborhood the person lives in. While most respondents don’t seem to be clamoring to move back into their cities’ core, “many Americans are looking for something different” from their current living environments, Bragdon said. TransitCenter, in fact, sees “widespread demand” for walkable communities, even though most of the respondents aren’t living in these currently.
Related Stories
| Jul 29, 2014
Blood center uses architecture to encourage blood donation [slideshow]
Designed by FAAB Architektura, the project's aesthetic was guided by its function. The color scheme, facade panel glossiness, and the irregularly elevated leitmotif were intentionally designed to evoke the "richness" of blood, according to the architects.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction market benefits from improving economy, new technology [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Following years of fairly lackluster demand for commercial property remodeling, reconstruction revenue is improving, according to the 2014 Giants 300 report.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Construction Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Structure Tone, Turner, and Gilbane top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction contractor and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Engineering Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Jacobs, URS, and Wiss, Janney, Elstner top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Architecture Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HDR, and HOK top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
LEO A DALY hires Peter Yakowicz to oversee VA projects
New hire will work with healthcare and federal market sectors on programs specifically for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
| Jul 28, 2014
Peterson Associates joins forces with KSQ Architects
Move creates Charlotte, N.C., office with expertise in higher education, K-12, multifamily, and healthcare.
| Jul 28, 2014
Post Tower Wins CTBUH 10-Year Award
The 10 Year Award recognizes proven value and performance in a tall building, across one or more of a wide range of criteria, over a period of 10 years since its completion.
| Jul 27, 2014
Maturing ‘plug and play’ sector could take market share from AEC Giants [2014 Giants 300 Report]
The growth of modular and containerized data center solutions may eventually hinder the growth of traditional data center construction services.