Explaining transit expenses in US urbanised areas: Urban scale, spatial form and fiscal capacity

Jerry Zhirong Zhao, Shengnan Lou, Camila Fonseca, Richard Feiock and Ruowen Shen
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Jerry Zhirong Zhao: University of Minnesota, USA
Shengnan Lou: University of Minnesota, USA
Camila Fonseca: University of Minnesota, USA
Richard Feiock: Florida State University, USA
Ruowen Shen: Wichita State University, USA

Urban Studies, 2021, vol. 58, issue 2, 280-296

Abstract: This research seeks to explain patterns of capital investment and operating expenses for urban transit systems in the United States. We isolate supply factors including urban scales, urban spatial form and financial capacity. Individual and group transit demands are accounted for by social and demographic characteristics including education level, immigrant populations, poverty levels, senior population and race. The results demonstrate that transit investments are super-linear to population, directly contradicting predictions of Bettencourt’s popular urban scale theory. Transit expenses are explained primarily by urban scales, urban spatial form and financial capacity, but demand forces such as poverty, car usage and political ideology have strong effects as well.

Keywords: financial capacity; political market; spatial form; transit expenses; urban transit; 财政能力; 政治市场; 空间形å¼; 出行开支; 城市公交 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:58:y:2021:i:2:p:280-296

DOI: 10.1177/0042098019892582

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