High Cost or High Opportunity Cost? Transportation and Family Economic Success

This report discusses opportunity costs that are experienced by low income households that are dependent upon public transit. Though using public transit does seem to cost less than owning and operating a private vehicle, certain costs are not accounted for in this scenario. Low income employees who do not own an automobile are less likely to be able to search for a higher paying job, because they are often not able to get to the job's location by public transit. Therefore, these workers are also losing benefits and income. The author comes to the conclusion that it makes sense to pressure the powers that be to offer more policies, and economic assistance, that can reduce the cost of owning an automobile for low income employees.

• Record URL:
  http://www.brookings.edu/es/research/projects/wrb/publications/pb/pb35.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Brookings Institution

  Center on Children & Families
  1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Waller, Margy
• Publication Date: 2005-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Pagination: 8p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile ownership; Costs; Economic benefits; Economic impacts; Employee benefits; Employees; Externalities; Families; Income; Job opportunities; Low income groups; Operating costs; Policy; Public transit; Transportation disadvantaged persons
• Uncontrolled Terms: Access to jobs; Family assistance; Opportunity costs
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Highways; Policy; Public Transportation; Society; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01029524
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Center on Children & Families #35
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 24 2006 7:14AM