Transit, Employment and Women on Welfare¹

Abstract

Inadequate transportation has emerged as a major barrier to employment for welfare recipients required to transition from public assistance to employment under welfare reform. Transportation is a particularly daunting barrier for single women without access to a household car. This study uses multivariate techniques to examine whether nearby transit access impacts the employment outcomes of this population in Los Angeles County. Results show that the level of transit service near a recipient's home makes a moderate, yet statistically significant, contribution to increasing the probability of employment and transit use for work-related trips. However, recipients who use public transit face multiple problems, including overcrowding and infrequent service.