Deficiencies in Public Transit Accessibility of
Healthcare Facilities in Chicago
| Principal Investigator | P.S. Sriraj |
| Final Report (DOI) | Download final report |
| TRID | View TRID entry |
| Policy Brief | Download policy brief |
Abstract
The welfare of the transportation disadvantaged may be at risk when access to healthcare for routine physicals, medical treatment and follow-ups is unnecessarily inhibited by poor public transit access (Rittner and Kirk, 1995; Glaeser, et al., 2008; Silver, et al. 2012; Syed, et al. 2013; Graham, et al. 2015). In this regard, transit planners and community stakeholders could be interested to identify such origin neighborhood clusters and destination hospitals/clinics, as well as specific types of spatial separation that tend to impede or enhance the likelihood of interactions between patients or care givers/care takers and treatment facilities. This exercise along with taking stock of available transit options could inform stakeholders of potential deficiencies. In this study, deficiencies in public transit access to healthcare facilities will be determined by comparing two indices related to the demand for and supply of public transportation used as a mode connecting residential origin zones and healthcare facilities located in trip destination zones: (a) the first index relates to the demand for public transportation and measures the average accessibility potential of each residential zone in the Chicago metropolitan area to healthcare facilities in destination zones; and (b) the second index relates to the supply of public transportation and measures the average availability of transit at bus stops, rail stations, route corridors or system wide in neighborhoods with healthcare facilities. Such areas measuring at the low end of both accessibility availability indices will be deemed deficient and in need of policy intervention to improve public transit access to healthcare facilities. The study will be using methodologies well established in transportation planning practice, and data that are routinely available in metro areas with transit presence. The techniques described in this study will likely add to the battery of tools available to planning authorities, researchers and practitioners. It would only be beneficial if similar studies were carried out in such areas. As the U.S. population ages, the number of people who rely on public transportation to access health services is expected to grow substantially.
| Grant | DTRT13-G-UTC56 |
| USF # | 79063-02-C |
| Funding Amount | $92,000 |
| Project Start Date | 4/15/19 |
| Date of Completion | 5/01/20 |
| Performing Organization | Center for Urban Transportation Research- National Center for Transit Research |
| Sponsor Organization | Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology- University Transportation Centers Program -Department of Transportation |
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