RES2021-08: Evaluating Transit Equity and Accessibility to Affordable Housing in TN

Over the last decade, urban areas throughout the country have experienced significant economic growth and gentrification, including those in Tennessee. With increasing gentrification and higher housing prices, some low-income households have had to make trade-offs between housing affordability and transit accessibility. This is because transit services tend to be more frequent and widespread in downtown areas where the housing prices are normally higher than in suburban areas. Thus, this report aims to critically assess the interrelated issues of transit access to jobs, affordable housing locations, and displaced populations in the major metropolitan regions of Tennessee. Transit accessibility to jobs from affordable housing units were measured using an accessibility software from Conveyal. Next, affordable housing locations that have limited transit access to jobs were identified, and potential modifications to transit service that could increase access were proposed. Then, maps were created to visualize the spatial distribution of displaced low-income households, which revealed that, on average from 2010 to 2019, Davidson County lost the greatest number of low-income households and had the highest displacement rate among the four counties, followed in order by Knox, Shelby, and finally Hamilton County. Lastly, maps that compared affordable housing locations, the transit network, and displacement suggested that the relationship between transit accessibility, affordable housing, and displacement differed across the four metropolitan regions. In general, transit accessibility and housing affordability are important to reduce or prevent the displacement of low-income households. Therefore, it is important for transit agencies and housing authorities to consider policies and practices that facilitate coordination of transit planning and affordable housing development in the future.

• Record URL:
  https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/long-range-planning/research/final-reports/2019-final-reports-and-summaries/TDOT%20RES2021-08%20Final%20Report%20Approved.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • N/A

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $145278
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Tennessee Department of Transportation

  James K. Polk Building
  Fifth and Deaderick Street
  Nashville, TN  United States  37243-0349
• Managing Organizations:

  University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  Center for Transportation Research
  Conference Center Building
  Knoxville, TN  United States  37996-4133
• Project Managers:

  Marshall, Jennifer

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  Center for Transportation Research
  Conference Center Building
  Knoxville, TN  United States  37996-4133
• Principal Investigators:

  Brakewood, Candace

• Start Date: 20200901
• Expected Completion Date: 20220831
• Actual Completion Date: 20220831
• USDOT Program: Accelerating Innovative Mobility (AIM)
• USDOT Program: Complete Trip - ITS4US
• USDOT Program: Intelligent Transportation Systems
• Subprogram: Advanced Materials
• Subprogram: Center for Transportation Research
• Source Data: N/A

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accessibility; Equity; Housing; Jobs; Public transit; Residential location; Spatial analysis
• Geographic Terms: Tennessee
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01907658
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Tennessee Department of Transportation
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 9 2024 2:27PM