abstract: 'Forced car ownership, defined as owning a car despite having limited

  economic resources, is an increasingly prevalent issue that places

  low-income households under significant economic stress. This is largely

  due to the car-oriented development that has prevailed in the last

  decades in most metropolitan regions in North America and many other

  parts of the world. Knowing that the desire to access employment

  opportunities, combined with the lack of adequate transport

  alternatives, is a major factor contributing to the acquisition of a car

  among low-income households, this research investigates the use of cars

  to access employment locations from a social equity perspective. More

  specifically, this study seeks to understand the relationship between

  public transport services at the workplace and commuting mode share, by

  combining detailed workplace-based census data with public transport

  schedule data. The spatial dispersion of low-income employment across

  the territory is first assessed. A linear regression model is then

  conducted to examine the relationship between mode share and public

  transport services, while controlling for the socio-economic

  characteristics of the commuters working in these areas. Interactions

  terms are included to assess the differentiated impact of service

  frequency across income groups. The results show that employment

  locations with high shares of low-income (LI) workers are spatially

  dispersed across the territory and are not, as a general trend, favoured

  in terms of public transport provision. The results of the linear

  regression model demonstrate that, in addition to the proximity of a

  metro station, frequent bus services are strongly associated with a

  decrease of the modal share of car, especially in areas that concentrate

  larger shares of LI workers. This result, combined with the spatial

  dispersion of LI jobs, points towards the improvement of bus services as

  a key strategy to better serve LI jobs and thereby reduce car use and

  dependency among LI workers. More specifically, one potential avenue

  would be to explore the development of rapid bus corridors along

  commercial streets. Taken together, the results of the study shed light

  on the importance and possible equity benefits of transport policies

  aiming at developing frequent bus services to support lower use of cars

  among LI workers. By using census data aggregated at the work locations

  instead of at the place of residence, this study complements the

  research on travel behaviour and equity, which is typically based on the

  residential location of different socio-economic groups. The findings of

  this study are of relevance to researchers and policymakers wishing to

  explore potential levers to reduce car use among low-income households.'
affiliation: 'Boisjoly, G (Corresponding Author), Polytech Montreal, Dept Civil Geol
  \& Min Engn, Montreal, PQ H3T 1J4, Canada.

  Vermesch, P.; Boisjoly, G., Polytech Montreal, Dept Civil Geol \& Min Engn, Montreal,
  PQ H3T 1J4, Canada.

  Lachapelle, U., Univ Quebec Montreal, Dept Etud Urbaines \& Tourist, Ecole Sci Gest,
  Montreal, PQ H3C 3P8, Canada.'
author: Vermesch, P. and Boisjoly, G. and Lachapelle, U.
author-email: gboisjoly@polymtl.ca
author_list:
- family: Vermesch
  given: P.
- family: Boisjoly
  given: G.
- family: Lachapelle
  given: U.
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1016/j.cstp.2021.02.013
earlyaccessdate: MAY 2021
eissn: 2213-6258
files: []
issn: 2213-624X
journal: CASE STUDIES ON TRANSPORT POLICY
keywords: 'Forced car ownership; Transport equity; Commuting mode share; Public

  transport; Job decentralization'
keywords-plus: 'BUS RAPID-TRANSIT; SOCIAL EQUITY; ACCESSIBILITY; CAR; CHOICE;

  OBJECTIVES; STRATEGIES; DISPARITY; PATTERNS; MOBILITY'
language: English
month: JUN
number: '2'
number-of-cited-references: '60'
orcid-numbers: Boisjoly, Genevieve/0000-0001-5375-7750
pages: 590-599
papis_id: eaa7c7d3b63952f978ae6734a2f1e463
ref: Vermesch2021commutingmode
times-cited: '5'
title: 'Commuting mode share and workplace-based public transport services: An equity
  perspective'
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000654634200001
usage-count-last-180-days: '4'
usage-count-since-2013: '17'
volume: '9'
web-of-science-categories: Transportation
year: '2021'