Considering Public Transit: New Insights into Job and Healthy Food Access for Low-Income Residents in Baltimore, Maryland

Abstract

Scholars, policymakers, and activists widely accept that low-income neighborhoods tend to lack amenities such as healthy food and employment opportunities. Most studies concerning access to these amenities assume that residents either drive a personal vehicle or walk to their destination, yet many low-income urban residents rely on public transit systems to access supermarkets and employment. This is especially true in Baltimore, a city where 11% of households do not own a personal vehicle. This study provides a methodological approach to incorporate these concerns into spatial analyses of food deserts and employment access. The method uses metropolitan planning organization-defined transportation analysis zones (TAZ) as the unit of analysis and evaluates public transit access to healthy food (i.e., supermarkets) and employment opportunities from each TAZ. This analysis can be used by decision makers to identify areas for improvement and ensure that transit-dependent individuals have good access to employment and healthy food sources. Twenty-four TAZs are identified as high-priority for transit improvements, many of which include former industrial areas and company towns, demonstrating the impact of historical development patterns on current populations in Baltimore. Considering budget constraints of transit agencies, this methodological approach can be used to make cost-effective and impactful transit improvements that address the needs of transit-dependent residents.