Transit use for single-parent households: Evidence from Maryland

Abstract

Single parents face unique transportation barriers in their lives. Although helping single parents obtain private vehicles (e.g., car donation programs) would be a potential solution, we cannot ignore the high expense of maintaining and operating a vehicle, which may impose a heavy financial burden on single-parent families and constrain their ability to access opportunities and services. In contrast, public transit could be a more accessible and affordable transportation mode that benefits single-parent families. This study examined the association between public transit use and single parents using 2017 National Household Travel Survey and American Community Survey data for Maryland, United States. Using zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression, we found that single parents used transit more than the average resident, and census block groups with more single-parent families had more transit commuters, holding other demographic and socioeconomic variables constant. This association was more significant in large metropolitan and urban areas than the state average. The findings highlight the vital role of public transit in single parents' daily travel. We discussed policy implications related to helping single parents access opportunities and services.