Investigating Equity of Public Transit Accessibility: Comparison of Accessibility among Disadvantaged Groups in Cook County, IL

Abstract

Extensive efforts have been made to quantify equity of public transit accessibility; however, the developed measures are usually aggregated over the population masking the disparities within the disadvantaged groups. Further, there is a lack of high-resolution spatial analyses in the literature. In this study, we employ several spatial analysis techniques to assess the equity of transit accessibility, focusing on the bus, train, and Metra (i.e., commuter rail) services in Cook County at a block group level. Lorenz curve analysis reveals that the train system has the most inequitable accessibility distribution (Gini = 0.83), followed by Metra and bus with Gini indices of 0.67, and 0.46, respectively. Further, we develop a disaggregate transit equity index to compare the accessibility among the disadvantaged groups. The findings suggest that the elderly, Hispanic, and Asian communities are the most underserved groups by bus, train, and Metra services, respectively. Moreover, to better understand the characteristics of the underserved groups, we employ the ordinary least square (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models. According to the estimation results, there are disparities in accessing public transit services for Hispanic, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities. The findings of this study can elucidate the distribution of transit accessibility among disadvantaged groups and help policymakers develop strategies to move toward an equitable public transit system in Cook County.