Are Travel Times and Distances to Work Greater for Residents of Poor Urban Neighborhoods?

Abstract

The commuting patterns of low-income urban residents are discussed. On the basis of the spatial mismatch hypothesis, the question of whether central city low-income residents face an undue burden of commuting cost (time and distance) to work compared with the rest of the population is examined. Data from the 1995 Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey were used in the analysis. Models explaining travel time and distance to work are combined with a model explaining the probability of being employed on the basis of individual and neighborhood characteristics, thus correcting for sample selectivity. In general, it was found that urban residents are less likely to work than their suburban counterparts. Among the people who work, residents of low-income urban neighborhoods commute longer and farther than residents of low-income suburban neighborhoods. The average differences for the residents of the lowest-income neighborhoods are only 6 min and 2 mi (3 km). On the basis of the value of time, it is concluded that these national differences are not too large. The undue commute burden faced by residents of low-income neighborhoods may be shown to be a greater problem in some metropolitan areas than in others, suggesting further research at the metropolitan or regional level.