People with disabilities and use of public transit: The role of neighborhood walkability

This study examines the links between neighborhood walkability and transit use with a focus on the differences between disabled individuals and others. Using the detailed individual-level data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey-California Add-on (2017 NHTS-CA), we develop a walkability index using the z-scores of net residential density, street connectivity, and land use mix within a ¼ mile radius of one\u27s residential location. We employ a negative binomial regression model to analyze the determinants of individuals\u27 transit use with consideration of a travel-limiting disability. Some key findings are as follows. First, disabled individuals tend to have more frequencies of transit use than their non-disabled counterparts. Second, individuals living in walkable neighborhoods are more likely to use transit in general. Third, after controlling for various other factors, non-worker disabled individuals are less likely to use public transit than others. Lastly, higher levels of walkability are positively associated with transit use of disabled individuals than others. This indicates that enhancing neighborhood walkability has a much larger effect on disabled individuals than their non-disabled counterparts