TRANSPORTATION COSTS AND THE AMERICAN DREAM: WHY A LACK OF TRANSPORTATION CHOICES STRAINS THE FAMILY BUDGET AND HINDERS HOME OWNERSHIP

This report examines the effect of household transportation on household budgets, and ultimately on the ability of a family to own a home. It looks at the expense of transportation, how a typical family spends each dollar it takes in, the disproportionate amount that lower income families are affected by transportation costs, how transportation costs (especially that of owning and maintaining a car) become a barrier to home ownership, the higher costs of transportation in sprawling metropolitan areas, and how to make transportation less expensive for families. The report concludes that government investment in public transit is one way to reduce transportation costs for families and better enable home ownership for households.

• Record URL:
  http://www.transact.org/ca/american%20dream%20work/american%20dream%20for%20print.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Surface Transportation Policy Project

  1100 17th Street NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Publication Date: 2003-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 5 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Budgeting; Costs; Dwellings; Economic impacts; Expenses; Families; Government funding; Households; Low income groups; Ownership; Public transit; Urban sprawl; Vehicle maintenance
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; Terminals and Facilities; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00960514
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 1 2003 12:00AM