Examining Transportation and Employment Outcomes: Evidence for Moving Beyond The Bus Pass

This study of 62 low-income, primarily black, single mothers, in the Pittsburgh labor force, examined the relationship between transportation and employment outcomes through regression analyses. The study's unique Transportation Advantage measure enabled the quantification of mobility disparities between auto owners and those utilizing other travel modes. Results indicated that women with private vehicles reported higher Transportation Advantage and better employment outcomes than those with even the best public transportation services, which questions the efficacy of bus passes as the predominant travel intervention. In addition, there was evidence of transportation's mediating effect on the relationship between participants' human capital and their employment outcomes. The mobility status of the single mothers in this study had a greater impact on their employment outcomes than either education or work experience.