Access Across America
Accessibility is the ease of reaching valued destinations. It can be measured for various transportation modes, to different types of destinations, and at different times of day. There are a variety of ways to define accessibility, but the number of destinations reachable within a given travel time is the most comprehensible and transparent, as well as the most directly comparable across cities. The Access Across America series measures accessibility to jobs via various modes of transportation in major metropolitan areas across the United States.
As of 2015, work is funded under the National Accessibility Evaluation pooled-fund study.
Access Across America Summary Articles
- For drivers and transit users, access to jobs in nearly all major US cities is on the decline (September 23, 2025; 2023 data year)
- Return of congestion and reduced transit service lead to lower job access nationwide (October 16, 2024; 2022 data year)
- COVID-19 pandemic substantially changed commuting patterns, job access (October 9, 2023; 2021 data year)