Active travel among carless and car-owning low-income populations in the United States

Low-income households may resort to cycling and walking to alleviate travel costs. Using data from the 2001, 2009, and 2017 National Household Travel Surveys, this study examines the spatiotemporal differences in the use of active travel among three socioeconomic groups classified based on household income and vehicle ownership. After controlling for a number of observed and unobserved factors, the authors find that individuals in low-income, car-owning households are associated with up to 14% more walking trips and 33% more cycling trips in a week compared to higher-income households, on average. However, in urban areas, higher-income households use active travel significantly more than low-income, car-owning households, while the opposite holds for suburban and rural areas. Individuals living in low-income, carless households are associated with even higher use of active travel. These results suggest that active travel is used, to some extent, out of necessity and lack of other viable options.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2023.103627
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136192092300024X
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13619209
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Ghimire, Subid
  • 0000-0001-8880-2275
  • Bardaka, Eleni
  • 0000-0001-8306-4939
• Publication Date: 2023-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 103627
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
  • Volume: 117
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 1361-9209
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13619209

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile ownership; Low income groups; Nonmotorized transportation; Socioeconomic factors
• Identifier Terms: National Household Travel Survey
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01880326
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 21 2023 9:49AM