Access Across America: Transit 2024

Abstract

Accessibility is the ease of reaching valued destinations. It can be measured for a wide array of 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.

This study estimates the accessibility to jobs by using public transit for each of the United States' 8.2 million census blocks and analyzes these data in the 50 largest (by population) metropolitan areas. Travel times by transit include the pedestrian travel times from each block origin to the first transit stop, and from the last transit stop to the job destination(s). Travel times are calculated using detailed pedestrian networks and full transit schedules for the 7:00 - 9:00 a.m. period, then access is calculated from the 15% fastest travel times, corresponding with a regularly occurring but fast transit trip.

This report presents detailed accessibility values for each metropolitan area, as well as block-level maps which illustrate the spatial patterns of accessibility within each area.

Year-over-year changes in transit accessibility are provided for each area. The 2024 reporting year reflects the ongoing modification of transit service levels after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many urban areas saw year over year increases in transit access for the average resident, reflecting changing economic conditions, but in general accessibility remains well below pre-COVID levels.