Access Across America: Transit 2024 measures access to jobs by transit for each of the most populous U.S. metropolitan areas and also shows the change in accessibility for each metro since the previous year. In a reversal of recent trends following impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 86% of the top 50 metro areas experienced a year-over-year increase in access to jobs via public transportation.
Increases in transit accessibility are influenced by the frequency and speed of transit service provided to an urban area, along with economic changes like the number and placement of jobs. Measurement of transit trips include the walking or rolling portions to and from transit stops or stations.
Widespread increases in accessibility to jobs via transit show some promise for continued regrowth of the ridership base across metro areas. Bright spots in the year-over-year changes included 15% increases in Louisville, 14% in Richmond, and 13% in San Diego, as well as large increases in Los Angeles and New York.
Now tracked by comparable methods over a decade by the Accessibility Observatory, this annual nationwide data is used to guide key transportation and land-use policy decisions. State departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations and transit agencies can apply the data to performance goals related to congestion, reliability and sustainability. In addition, detailed accessibility evaluation can help in selecting between project alternatives and prioritizing investments.
The research is sponsored by the National Accessibility Evaluation Pooled-Fund Study, a multi-year effort led by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and supported by partners including the Federal Highway Administration and additional state DOTs.
