Metro Ridership Disparities and Socioeconomic Inequality: Evidence from Athens, Greece

Population growth and changing urban activity increase pressure on public transport to be efficient and equitable. This study examines how specific socioeconomic conditions around Athens Metro stations influence ridership patterns, with particular emphasis on employment structure, education levels, and household characteristics such as parking availability. Using 2021 census data and monthly station ridership for 2021, 10 min walking isochrone catchments are delineated for each station, and socioeconomic indicators are spatially aggregated to these zones. We screen variables through correlation analysis and estimate month-specific Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) models to capture seasonal effects. The best-performing month is then analyzed to examine spatial non-stationarity, while Principal Component Analysis (PCA) reduces multicollinearity and highlights the most influential latent socioeconomic dimensions. The results indicate strong spatial disparities: central interchange stations show consistently high demand, whereas peripheral stations exhibit lower and more variable ridership. Localized relationships link ridership to employment structure, educational profiles, and indicators of car availability, such as household parking, suggesting uneven accessibility and mobility opportunities across the metropolitan area. The proposed GIS-spatial econometric workflow supports targeted, equity-oriented interventions and transit-oriented development and is transferable to other cities with comparable open ridership and census datasets.