There are several (non-mutually exclusive) categories of research tracks proposed by FTA. These include:
(A) evaluation of the impact of transit on low-income access to employment
(B) analysis supportive of the new JARC formula-based program
(C) assessment of transit needs for elderly and disabled
(D) cost/benefit analysis for all types of transit for low-income groups
(E) assessment of the level of contribution of transit to employment.
The DOT project has been financially matched by the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA). a non-profit located in Washington, DC, for whom we are studying the benefits of partnerships with non-transportation stakeholders for the purpose of employment transportation. The specific research questions/tasks that are being addressed under the umbrella of these broad categories are listed below.
· Perform a Literature review of legislation, policies, and research on poverty and transit for low-income population
· Perform an analysis of Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES) Data
· Develop a conceptual framework for integrating model of economic benefits of transit investments targeted to low-income population with model of user benefits
· Estimate the social impacts of obtaining and maintaining employment
· Develop a web-site that will be a repository for the results of this research as well as other research work in related areas.
· Develop Spatial Decision Support Systems (SDSS) to support planning and decision making.
· Estimate economic benefits of the Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) project using survey data linked to other data sources.