I am grading papers from students in my Advanced Urban course, and a number are reviewing literature on density and use of public transport. The literature suggests that doubling density is associated with something like an eight percent increase in public transit use, but of course, it is difficult to tease out cause and effect: I suspect those who like living densely are also more likely to want to use public transportation.
I can't help but think about a trip I made to a UN conference on urban issues. The conference took place in Barcelona, which has among the easiest to use transit systems in the world--more than half the people there live within walking distance of a metro stop. As it happens, I went to dinner with some officials from the Bush Administration, and when I suggested we use the metro instead of cabs, my companions were, well, stunned at the very idea. I pursuaded them to go, and learned that a bunch of people who lived in a city which has an excellent metro, Washington, never used public transportation.
I could be wrong, but my sense was that taking the metro in Barcelona was a foreign adventure for them in all kind of ways, and one that they did not particularly wish to repeat at home.
Transit in DC is a funny thing. Either car or bus is used to connect to the outlying metro stations. There are huge park and ride lots with multi-story parking structures at many metro stations.
ReplyDeleteIn general, the relationship between density and transit is a bit of a red herring. Average density is a poor measure--density in proximity to the transit line is far more important. On average, NYC and LA share much the same density. But as the second link shows, how the density is distributed is very different. LA has a pretty uniform density. NYC has a lot of very high density and a lot of very low density. Guess where the subways are?
http://www.humantransit.org/2010/09/the-perils-of-average-density.html
http://wealoneonearth.blogspot.com/2010/10/portrait-of-city-as-squiggly-line.html