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
| Oct 23, 2013
Architecture Billings Index hits seven-month high in September
AIA's Architecture Billings Index was 54.3 in September, the highest level since February 2013
| Oct 18, 2013
Meet the winners of BD+C's $5,000 Vision U40 Competition
Fifteen teams competed last week in the first annual Vision U40 Competition at BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco. Here are the five winning teams, including the $3,000 grand prize honorees.
| Oct 18, 2013
A picture’s worth a thousand words… if you can find it
Photographs are becoming more essential to project communication and documentation. Recently, I sat in a local airport integration project meeting in which the owner outlined their expectation for construction documentation. One of the first requirements was to provide photographs throughout the building process.
| Oct 18, 2013
Researchers discover tension-fusing properties of metal
When a group of MIT researchers recently discovered that stress can cause metal alloy to fuse rather than break apart, they assumed it must be a mistake. It wasn't. The surprising finding could lead to self-healing materials that repair early damage before it has a chance to spread.
| Oct 18, 2013
Call for submissions: AIA Emerging Professionals Summit essays
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is seeking essays that will address what role architects will play in society in 2033.
| Oct 16, 2013
5 secrets of successful entrepreneurs
If you’re on the outside looking in, successful entrepreneurship may seem mysterious. But it isn’t. Here are five patterns of behavior that are common to successful entrepreneurs.
| Oct 15, 2013
High-rise Art Deco courthouse gets a makeover in Amarillo, Texas
Recognized as one of the most significant Art Deco courthouses in Texas, the Potter County Courthouse is modernized and restored to its 1930s aesthetic.
| Oct 10, 2013
Behind the scenes at the U40 Summit: See the $5,000 U40 Vision competition in progress [slideshow]
Sixty-five up-and-coming AEC leaders are battling for $5,000 in prizes today at BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco.
| Oct 10, 2013
Arthur Gensler to architects: Don't give away your ideas
The founder of Gensler advises dozens of up-and-coming AEC professionals at BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco.
| Oct 9, 2013
From power plant to office: Ambler Boiler House conversion
The shell of a 19th-century industrial plant is converted into three levels of modern office space.