Transportation Access: A Key Employment Barrier for Rural Low-Income Families

Abstract

Findings from three sequential studies build an understanding of the transportation barriers facing poor rural families and the link between transportation access and economic outcomes. An in-depth, longitudinal qualitative study explored multiple dimensions of the role of transportation in family life. The results of this study yielded emergent themes and hypotheses used in the subsequent studies. The second study used multiple methods to analyze Census data, vehicle registration lists, and focus group interviews to identify transportation resources in a rural county and to assess transportation needs and barriers facing welfare recipients. The third study addressed the association between transportation and economic outcomes using a dual frame household survey in a cluster of five counties. The article concludes that although policies to provide access to transportation services for rural families may enhance employment opportunities, other related outcomes and longer term effects require additional study.