Mobility links us to the economic, social
and political benefits of our society. A transportation system that
provides mobility is accessible, integrated and efficient and offers
flexibility of choices. Our extensive intermodal transportation system helps
make Americans one of the most mobile populations in the world.
However, there are groups in our society that face significant mobility
challenges. The Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS) provides
information so we can better understand how income, gender, age, and race
impact mobility.
While travel by single adults and adults without children does not vary by
gender, travel by men and women with younger children is starkly different.
In particular, working mothers make more trips and cover more miles than at
any other time in the past three decades.
Household income appears to be the single most significant determinant of
mobility. All aspects of travel are related to incomethe amount of
travel, the area in which a person travels, and vehicle ownership.
People in low-income households have fewer travel options and a much smaller
radius of access to goods and services than those in higher income households.
The high cost of acquiring, registering, insuring and maintaining a vehicle
places vehicle ownership out of range for many low-income households.
|
Different mobility issues face the elderly
because they typically drive less, live in more remote locations, and may
require special services and facilities. Many of the poor elderly are
single women, often minorities, who live alone. As our population ages, these
issues will become more critical.
Examining income in conjunction with race adds another dimension to the
discussion of mobility. For example, even in the same income group,
African-Americans take 15 percent fewer trips and travel almost a quarter less
miles per person per day than whites.
Although all elements of the population have increased their mobility over
time, many challenges still exist. A transportation system that meets the
mobility needs of all Americans must use both traditional and innovative
approaches.
|