Liberals More Likely to Use Public Transit

Digging further into a recent report from the Pew Research Center that finds growing political polarization among Americans, Emily Badger finds use of public transit runs along ideological lines.

1 minute read

July 2, 2014, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell

According to Badger's analysis of the Pew Research Center's study, liberals are more likely to use public transit than conservatives.

Those findings, however, should be taken with the following grains of salt:

"First, regular public transit ridership is meager even among the groups most likely to use it. It's not as if a majority of 'solid liberals' get to work every day by subway, while steadfast conservatives wholly disdain it. The difference between the two poles in using transit 'at least once a week' is just 17 percentage points."
"But this may tell us as much about where all these people live as how they really feel about transit. Liberals are more likely to be clustered in cities, where transit is most common."
"What the above data doesn't tell us is whether liberals and conservatives have different preferences for public transit when they live in the same place."

FULL STORY: Liberals are more likely to use public transit than conservatives

Monday, June 30, 2014 in The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Transportation United States Public Transit Pew Research Center Transit Ridership

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.