Driven to Spend: Pumping Dollars Out of Our Households and Communities

Abstract

According to the Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP), the combined costs of transportation and housing accounted for 52% of the average family's budget in 2003. Recent increases in prices of housing and gas suggest that these costs are probably already higher than this report shows. The report notes that in regions that have invested in public transit, households benefit from having affordable options to driving, even as the prices of gasoline rise. Households with lower income are impacted more by higher transportation costs. These expenses claim a greater percentage of their budgets even though they may be spending less. The report concludes that it is incumbent upon our country to focus on providing alternatives to automobile travel, to deliver greater economic security for families and communities.

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