Understanding Transit-dependent
Riders in the Portland Metro Area
Preliminary 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
Mobility groups in survey samples
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%
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255662
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Transit dependence and
civil rights analysis: Race/ethnicity
People of color and transit dependence
2011 Oregon Household Activity Survey
100%
61%
64%
78%
73%
White
Ppl of Color
39%
36%
22%
27%
0%
Transit Dependent
Transportation
Disadvantaged
Mobile
TriMet District Population
Transit dependence and
civil rights analysis: Race/ethnicity
Transit Dependent
OHAS White
OHAS POC
OHAS sample
5
Transportation Disadvantaged
19
9
6
76
30
22
61
72
Mobile
Transit dependence and
civil rights analysis: Low income
Low income and transit dependence
2011 Oregon Household Activity Survey
100%
49%
72%
86%
87%
14%
13%
Mobile
TriMet District
Population
51%
28%
0%
Transit Dependent
Transportation
Disadvantaged
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
Travel patterns by mobility group
ARE TRANSIT-DEPENDENT RIDERS
WELL SERVED GIVEN THEIR NEEDS?
Travel patterns:
Time spent traveling
Travel patterns:
Time spent traveling
Transit Dependent
Transportation Disadvantaged
"Choice"
Poor / PWD
"Choice"
Poor/ PWD
7
5
4
3
Travel time minutes/day
112
111
105
125
Travel distance Miles
20
14
17
25
Avg trips/day
Transit riders
OHAS 2011
Poor drivers travel twice the distance of poor transit
riders, in the same amount of time
Travel patterns:
Transfers
Onboard fare survey 2012
0 transfers
Poor Mobile
Poor Dependent
Choice Mobile
Choice Dependent
1 transfer
76%
67%
2 or more transfers
21%
29%
83%
72%
3%
5%
16% 1%
25%
3%
Travel patterns:
Time of Day, Destinations
• 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
“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