Understanding Transit-dependent Riders in the Portland Metro AreaPreliminary Findings

Dr. Jennifer Dill and Dr. Lisa Bates, Principal Investigators

Overview

• How do we conceptualize transit dependence as a continuum?– How do these categories compare to important

equity analysis groups?• How do travel patterns differ across mobility

groups?– What do these differences imply for measuring

accessibility and considering equity?• What’s the housing-land use connection?

Mobility transit dependence

• Concept mapping based on– Household: car ownership

• Income implies choice (150% poverty)– Individual: driver status

• Youth and disability are factors

Disability Disability Disability

Portland area data

• Oregon Household Activity Survey (OHAS) 2011

• TriMet Origins + Destinations Survey (OD) 2012

• TriMet fare survey on board 2012

OHAS TriMetOD

Disabled_Dependent 1% 9%

Disabled_Disadvantaged 2% 3%

Disabled_Mobile 4% 3%

Impoverished_Dependent 2% 13%

Impoverished_Disadvanaged 2% 6%

Impoverished_Mobile 9% 12%

Choice_Dependent 2% 12%

Choice_Disadvantaged 2% 7%

Choice_Mobile 57% 28%

Youth_Dependent 40% 1%

Youth_Disadvantaged 16% 5%

Youth_Mobile 1% 1%n 8631 255662

Mobility groups in survey samples

Transit dependence and civil rights analysis: Race/ethnicity

Transit Dependent Transportation Disadvantaged Mobile TriMet District Population0%

100%

39% 36%

22%27%

61% 64%

78%73%

People of color and transit dependence2011 Oregon Household Activity Survey

White

Ppl of Color

Transit dependence and civil rights analysis: Race/ethnicity

OHAS sample

OHAS POC

OHAS White

6

9

5

22

30

19

72

61

76

Transit Dependent Transportation DisadvantagedMobile

Transit dependence and civil rights analysis: Low income

Transit

Depen

dent

Transporta

tion Disadvan

taged

Mobile

TriMet

Distric

t Populati

on0%

100%

51%

28%14% 13%

49%

72%86% 87%

Low income and transit dependence2011 Oregon Household Activity Survey

At or below 150% poverty Above 150% poverty

OD survey• 44% of trips

are very low income riders

• 14% of trips are very low income and transit dependent

ARE TRANSIT-DEPENDENT RIDERS WELL SERVED GIVEN THEIR NEEDS?

Travel patterns by mobility group

Travel patterns:Time spent traveling

Travel patterns:Time spent traveling

  Transit Dependent Transportation Disadvantaged

"Choice" Poor / PWD "Choice" Poor/ PWD

Avg trips/day 7 5 4 3

Transit riders

Travel time minutes/day 112 111 105 125

Travel distance Miles 20 14 17 25         

OHAS 2011        

Poor drivers travel twice the distance of poor transit riders, in the same amount of time

Travel patterns: Transfers

Choice Dependent

Choice Mobile

Poor Dependent

Poor Mobile

72%

83%

67%

76%

25%

16%

28%

21%

3%

1%

5%

3%

Onboard fare survey 2012 0 transfers 1 transfer 2 or more transfers

• Commute?– Mobile travel more during morning peak– Poor transit dependent riders and Persons with disability

much less often going to work• Poor trans disadvantaged, poor mobile and choice mobile most often going to

work

• Non-work activities– Poor and disabled dependent and disadvantaged adults are

twice as often traveling with a child compared to choice riders

– PWD shopping, medical appointments

Travel patterns:Time of Day, Destinations

“The” equity question? considering a Title VI/EJ analysis compared with a transit dependence analysis

• Better serving those currently dependent on transit?

• Or creating system that makes it possible for current drivers to depend on transit?

Measuring accessibility by transit – salience for specific populations?Transit access to family wage jobs (60 min or less travel time)Family-wage jobs are defined by the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies as the income level needed to support one adult, one preschooler, and one school age child. The income level varies by the county of residence: Clark ($48,172), Clackamas ($54,343), Washington ($58,915), and Multnomah ($47,244).

When is a transit equity problem not a transit problem?

OD 2012 home locations of riders

Zoom in on west side/ Washington County

OD 2012 home locations of riders

When is a transit equity problem not a transit problem?

Implications – Next steps

• Transit dependent or able to depend on transit?

• Accessibility by transit – for whom?• The housing - land use challenge