The Joint Effects of Income, Vehicle Technology, and Rail Transit Access on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between income, vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for households with varying access to rail transit in four metropolitan areas—Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, and Sacramento—using data from the 2010–2012 California Household Travel Survey. Daily vehicle GHG emissions are calculated using the California Air Resources Board’s 2014 EMFAC (emission factors) model. Two Tobit regression models are used to predict daily VMT and GHG by income, rail transit access (within or outside 0.5 miles of a rail transit station in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, and linear distance to rail in San Diego and Sacramento), and metropolitan area. Comparing predicted VMT and GHG emissions levels, this paper concludes that predicted VMT and GHG emission patterns for rail access vary across metropolitan areas in ways that may be related to the age and connectivity of the areas’ rail systems. The results also show that differences in household VMT due to rail access do not scale proportionally to differences in GHG emissions. Regardless, the fact that GHG emissions are lower near rail transit for virtually all income levels in this study implies environmental benefits from expanding rail transit systems, as defined in this paper.

The capitalization of metro rail access in urban housing markets

“…As suggested by Boarnet et al (2015), the characteristics of areas surrounding the Gold and Expo Line stations are different in a number of ways from areas that previously got metro line Note: This table presents the means of key characteristics using data from the U.S. Census for Gold (Phase 1 and Eastside Extension) and Expo station areas based on the census tracts in which the stations are located.…”

“…access. For example, neighborhoods surrounding major parts of the Expo Line fall under the category of "very low income" (Boarnet et al, 2015). This is in contrast to the neighborhoods around other lines where the median household income is considered "low income" (Boarnet et al, 2015).…”

“…Expansions of the Gold and Expo Lines continue, with the most recent extensions bringing the total costs of the lines to $2.8 and $2.4 billion, respectively (L.A. Metro, 2019b). After the voter-approved half-cent sales tax called Measure R, it is expected that the Los Angeles metro network will continue to expand (Boarnet et al, 2015). With billions of dollars being spent on metro rail development, it is thus important to understand the value that residents place on this development.…”

“…This is in contrast to the neighborhoods around other lines where the median household income is considered "low income" (Boarnet et al, 2015). Additionally, the Gold Line which passes through Little Tokyo and Chinatown has large non-Hispanic Asian population (Boarnet et al, 2015). Table 1 presents demographic information for the areas surrounding the Gold Line Phase 1 stations, Gold Line Eastside Extension stations, and Expo Line stations, providing further descriptive evidence that these areas are quite different.…”

“…(2015), the characteristics of areas surrounding the Gold and Expo Line stations are different in a number of ways from areas that previously got metro line access. For example, neighborhoods surrounding major parts of the Expo Line fall under the category of “very low income” (Boarnet et al., 2015). This is in contrast to the neighborhoods around other lines where the median household income is considered “low income” (Boarnet et al., 2015).…”