Regional Equity and Transportation in Detroit

Wolverine Caucus ForumFebruary 13, 2010

Joe GrengsUniversity of Michigan

grengs@umich.edu

Flint

Pontiac

DearbornAnn Arbor

0 10 20 305

Miles

Poverty

Percent in Poverty

0.0 - 10.0

10.1 - 20.0

20.1 - 30.0

30.1 - 40.0

40.1 - 100.0

By Census TractDetroit 7-County Region1999

Source: Census 2000

City of Detroit

Flint

Pontiac

DearbornAnn Arbor

0 10 20 305

Miles

African American Population

Percent Black

0 - 10

10.1 - 20

20.1 - 30

30.1 - 40

40.1 - 50

50.1 - 60

60.1 - 70

70.1 - 80

80.1 - 90

90.1 - 100

By Census TractDetroit 7-County Region2000

Source: Census 2000

City of Detroit

Flint

Pontiac

DearbornAnn Arbor

0 10 20 305

Miles

Households Without Cars

Percent Carless HH

0.0 - 10.0

10.1 - 20.0

20.1 - 30.0

30.1 - 40.0

40.1 - 50.0

50.1 - 100.0

By Census TractDetroit 7-County Region2000

Source: Census 2000

City of Detroit

0 10 205

Miles

¯

Low-Income WorkersWithout Cars

Legend

4 - 27

28 - 66

67 - 119

120 - 189

190 - 282

283 - 494

By Traffic Analysis ZoneDetroit 3-County Region2000

Source: CTPP 2000

Note: TAZs where no low-income worker lacks a car are omitted

from the map.

Oakland

Wayne

Macomb

Washtenaw

St. Clair

Monroe

Livingston St. Clair

0 10 205

Miles

Public Transit Coverage

Detroit 3-County Region2000

Source: Census 2000

City of Detroit

Bus Lines

SMART

DDOT

0 10 205

Miles

¯

Job Accessibility(All Industries)

Accessibility Index

0.00 - 0.49

0.50 - 0.79

0.80 - 0.99

1.00 - 1.19

1.20 - 1.49

1.50 - 2.30

By Traffic Analysis ZoneDetroit 3-County Region2000

Source: CTPP 2000

Central Business District

City of Detroit Boundary

Oakland County

Macomb County

Wayne County

Accessibility to Work, with White Population Density (people/sq mi)

Detroit 3-County Region, 2000

Accessibility to Work, with Black Population Density (people/sq mi),

Detroit 3-County Region, 2000

Accessibility to WorkComparing Black and White Households

Detroit 3-County Region, 2000

0 10 205

Miles

Number of Carless Women-Headed Households with Children, and in Poverty

Proportional Symbolby Count

100

250

500

1,000

By PUMADetroit 3-County Region2000

Source: 5% PUMS 2000

City of Detroit

Accessibility to Grocery Stores, by RaceDetroit 3-County Region, 2005

Nonwork Accessibility, by Selected MunicipalitiesDetroit 3-County Region, 2006

Conclusion The central city is not disadvantaged by its

geographic position in regional space. Helping poor people gain access: strengthen

transit in the long run; compact land-use development in the long run; easier availability of cars in the short run.

Gaining access to cars would shift vulnerable populations from the most-disadvantaged to an advantaged position in the regional geography.