Study Shows: Reduction in Transit Services Can Lead to Rise in Poverty and Unemployment.

A new study conducted in Clayton County, Georgia has found a connection between transit cuts, unemployment, and poverty, according to an article by Jared Brey in Governing. The study supports the “spatial mismatch” theory, which suggests limited transit access leads to fewer job opportunities and lower incomes for residents.

The study analyzed poverty and unemployment rates in the county during five years between 2010 and 2015 when the county had no bus service connecting it to Atlanta, leaving transit-dependent Clayton County residents unable to reach the city. The county saw an increase in poverty and unemployment rates over the years, as explained by the loss of bus access. This new research was published in the journal Urban Studies last month.

There is ample evidence across various research fields that shows transit access supports healthy economic outcomes and that cuts to transit service can be detrimental. This study provided a “rare opportunity” for a natural experiment as it was able to compare demographically similar tracts, one that initially had bus access and then lost it, to those that remained unaffected by the cuts. Typically, it’s challenging to isolate economic outcomes of significant events happening across large areas and affecting multiple communities in similar ways. However, in Clayton County, researchers were able to do so.