#7 More Poor in Suburbs Than Cities

Cars and suburbs continued to decline in 2011.

*Lower fatalities not safety related.
Despite what state DOTs are implying, the lower fatalities on our highways have nothing to do with safety education, and everything to do with fewer miles being driven (VMT, or vehicle miles traveled), especially among young people, who historically have higher fatality rates.
   Exclusive NineShift research found conclusively this is so. In the past 20 years, death rates among the young fell as a percentage of the total, while middle age deaths doubled. To maintain that 18 year olds are better drivers than 55 year olds is, of course, not validated by the facts. The fact that 55 year olds are driving more, and 18 year olds are driving less, is validated by the facts.

*More poor people now live in the suburbs than in the city,
the New York Times reported. Urban downtowns continue to do better than suburbs. Houses near light rail experience are more valuable than ever.

Comments

[Jay Townley]

In addition to light-rail, what other forms of transportation are younger Americans turning to as they drive cars less?

[D. P. Lubic]

Walking and particularly bicycling are apparently coming on strong for younger Americans. There are several sites devoted to this. And of course, there is the lowly bus. Transit service is the obvious one, but the fastest growing transportation segment in America today are new low-cost bus lines, such as Bolt and Megabus, and various "China bus" operations in the Eastern US.

Some links to articles, weblogs, and the like that may help illustrate the interest in this:

http://transitsleuth.com/2011/10/

http://transitsleuth.com/2011/09/

http://www.rebels-by-bus.net/

http://www.humantransit.org/

http://www.streetsblog.org/

http://www.planetizen.com/node/47747

http://thecityfix.com/blog/americas-fastest-growing-form-of-transit-the-intercity-bus/

http://transportationnation.org/2011/08/01/study-who-is-riding-curbside-buses-should-amtrak-worry/

[D. P. Lubic]

Looks like there was an earlier story on the poor in the suburbs, from National Public Radio--in 2009.

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/big-shift/more-low-income-people-live-suburbs

Most disturbing quotes from the story and the comments that follow it:

"Thomas: Years back, they told you, go to school and get an education so you can get a good job, so you would never have to worry about being in a situation like that. I kept saying, "How can this happen to me?""

From Patrick Harris, in the following comments: "I am a 22 year old student supporting a mother, two siblings, and a disabled uncle. Yes we are poor and yes we live in the suburbs. The housing is actually cheaper the further you get from the city. I find it unsettling that people like the woman in this article, and my mother who have degrees and years of experience and yet are still struggling to make a living. I am currently in debt to my school 4,000 dollars and still managing to pay little bits here and there but im starting to wonder if this investment in higher education is going to be worth it, especially in this economy."

Of course, big business and conservative types don't listen to NPR, so it becomes news when somebody mainstream covers it, as you well know. . .then everybody talks about it.

Makes you wonder about how the news business is run these days, when it takes two years to go mainstream on data like this. . .

[William Draves]

Great comment D.P. that "the housing is cheaper the further you get from the city."

[William Draves]

Jay, light rail and trains are the 1-2 punch, the dominant transportation, for Gen Y and future generations. They go together.

Then, as D.P. points out, walking and bicycling. The train from Portland to Seattle has a whole train car for travelers to store their bikes. Other cities have one-way bike rentals.

The one mode of transportation I was wrong about: segways. I thought they would catch on more with Gen Y than they have so far.