The first decade of the 21st century saw Americans place greater value on public transportation, as a new study shows both overall ridership and proximity to transit stations grew significantly during that time.
According to the study, conducted by the Federal Transit Administration and the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, transit ridership jumped 36% from 1995 to 2008. At the same time, a total of 881 new rail and bus stations were constructed between 2000 and 2010. These two factors led to a 6% increase in the number of people living within a half-mile of a transit station—by 2010, 11% of Americans were living near public transportation hubs.
Researchers note, however, that 75% of that group lives in five cities: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Boston.
While the individual shift is notable, the number of households living within a half-mile of public transportation went up even more, increasing 8% from 2000 to 2010. The majority of these households, however, consisted of just one or two people.
