Transit Investment and Income Inequality in U.S. Metropolitan Areas
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2025
Subject Area
place - north america, mode - rail, policy - equity, land use - impacts
Keywords
income inequality, transportation finance, public transit, MSA, UZA
Abstract
The impact of transit investment on the access to economic opportunities and income inequality is an important question for researchers, transportation planners, and policymakers. This research conducts a comprehensive panel data analysis on the association between different types of transit investment (rail and non-rail) and various measures of income inequality for all U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) from 2011 to 2017. We find a significant effect of transit investment on reducing Gini coefficient and poverty rate in large MSAs with over a million population. The impacts seem to be driven mainly by adding new rail systems to traditional non-rail systems.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by SAGE, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Liu, C. Y., & Zhao, J. Z. (2025). Transit Investment and Income Inequality in US Metropolitan Areas. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 45(3), 487-499.
