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Estimating Transportation Costs by Characteristics of Neighborhood and Household

JournalTransportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
PublisherTransportation Research Board of the National Academies
ISSN0361-1981 (Print)
IssueVolume 2077 / 2008
CategoryPlanning and Administration
Pages62-70
DOI10.3141/2077-09
Online DateFriday, January 16, 2009
Authors
Peter M. Haas1, Carrie Makarewicz1, Albert Benedict1, Scott Bernstein1

1 Center for Neighborhood Technology, 2125 West North Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647

Abstract

Since information on U. S. household expenditures was first collected, transport expenditures have risen from the sixth-highest share of household budgets, less than 2%, in 1917 to the second-highest share since the 1970s. This rise is linked to increased automobile purchase and automobile use and a relative decline in other costs, particularly food. Studies have also linked variations in the built environment to transport expenditures, but this influence cannot be tested by the federal Consumer Expenditure Survey since it is reported at the metropolitan level. Regional travel demand models recognize the dual influence of land use and household characteristics but do not include sufficient detail on the built environment of neighborhoods. Additionally, these models report travel time, distance, and frequency but not out-of-pocket household transportation expenditures. A study was launched to create a statistical model to predict household total annual transportation expenditures for each neighborhood in the largest metropolitan regions in the United States, controlling for the built environment and household size and income. The model specifies five independent variables—density, jobs access, neighborhood services, walkability, and transit connectivity. Model parameters were calibrated to measured vehicle ownership and transit use in the pilot region, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, and to vehicle miles traveled by households at the block group level in the National Household Travel Survey. Statistically significant results confirm the influence of the built environment and regional accessibility on transport expenditures. Intended users are households, policy makers, and planners making location, design, and investment decisions.

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  1. Ferguson, Erin M. (2011) Incorporating equity into the transit frequency-setting problem. Transportation Research Part A Policy and Practice
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