The relationship between municipal highway expenditures and socio-demographic status: Are safety investments equitably distributed?
Different population groups have varying transportation needs based on their region type, socio-economic, and socio-demographic characteristics. Yet, municipal highway funding allocation methods do not typically consider these differences. Throughout the United States, municipal highway funding allo...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198221000282 |
| _version_ | 1818416821743648768 |
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| author | Alyssa Ryan Eleni Christofa Camille Barchers Michael Knodler |
| author_facet | Alyssa Ryan Eleni Christofa Camille Barchers Michael Knodler |
| author_sort | Alyssa Ryan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Different population groups have varying transportation needs based on their region type, socio-economic, and socio-demographic characteristics. Yet, municipal highway funding allocation methods do not typically consider these differences. Throughout the United States, municipal highway funding allocation is based upon fixed formulas that often only account for highway mileage and/or population size rather than equal benefits and funding outcomes across different population groups. This potentially creates an inequitable funding allocation process leading to safety and accessibility disparities between different population groups. This research investigates the extent to which the distribution of resources is not equal when evaluated by population group. Specifically, the relationship between municipal highway expenditures and poverty levels, population aged 65 years and older, race, and remoteness is investigated using data from the states of New York and Massachusetts. Using linear regression techniques, several models were developed that relate municipal highway expenditures with the socio-economic and socio-demographic characteristics of municipalities. The results revealed that there are clear municipal highway expenditure disparities between different population groups. Municipalities that have higher poverty levels experience a lower highway expenditure rate per local mile. Further, municipalities located in remote areas far from large metropolitan regions experience a disproportionately lower highway expenditure rate per local mile. Moreover, the results of this study indicate the need to consider how funding methods can address social differences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T11:56:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2a4279219644413394506e6e8150c4e3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2590-1982 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T11:56:59Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives |
| spelling | doaj.art-2a4279219644413394506e6e8150c4e32022-12-21T23:02:04ZengElsevierTransportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives2590-19822021-03-019100321The relationship between municipal highway expenditures and socio-demographic status: Are safety investments equitably distributed?Alyssa Ryan0Eleni Christofa1Camille Barchers2Michael Knodler334 Marston Hall, 130 Natural Resources Road, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; Corresponding author.216 Marston Hall, 130 Natural Resources Road, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA351 Design Building, 551 North Pleasant Street, Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA214 Marston Hall, 130 Natural Resources Road, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USADifferent population groups have varying transportation needs based on their region type, socio-economic, and socio-demographic characteristics. Yet, municipal highway funding allocation methods do not typically consider these differences. Throughout the United States, municipal highway funding allocation is based upon fixed formulas that often only account for highway mileage and/or population size rather than equal benefits and funding outcomes across different population groups. This potentially creates an inequitable funding allocation process leading to safety and accessibility disparities between different population groups. This research investigates the extent to which the distribution of resources is not equal when evaluated by population group. Specifically, the relationship between municipal highway expenditures and poverty levels, population aged 65 years and older, race, and remoteness is investigated using data from the states of New York and Massachusetts. Using linear regression techniques, several models were developed that relate municipal highway expenditures with the socio-economic and socio-demographic characteristics of municipalities. The results revealed that there are clear municipal highway expenditure disparities between different population groups. Municipalities that have higher poverty levels experience a lower highway expenditure rate per local mile. Further, municipalities located in remote areas far from large metropolitan regions experience a disproportionately lower highway expenditure rate per local mile. Moreover, the results of this study indicate the need to consider how funding methods can address social differences.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198221000282State governanceEquityResource allocationLocal highway fundingLocal safety |
| spellingShingle | Alyssa Ryan Eleni Christofa Camille Barchers Michael Knodler The relationship between municipal highway expenditures and socio-demographic status: Are safety investments equitably distributed? Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives State governance Equity Resource allocation Local highway funding Local safety |
| title | The relationship between municipal highway expenditures and socio-demographic status: Are safety investments equitably distributed? |
| title_full | The relationship between municipal highway expenditures and socio-demographic status: Are safety investments equitably distributed? |
| title_fullStr | The relationship between municipal highway expenditures and socio-demographic status: Are safety investments equitably distributed? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The relationship between municipal highway expenditures and socio-demographic status: Are safety investments equitably distributed? |
| title_short | The relationship between municipal highway expenditures and socio-demographic status: Are safety investments equitably distributed? |
| title_sort | relationship between municipal highway expenditures and socio demographic status are safety investments equitably distributed |
| topic | State governance Equity Resource allocation Local highway funding Local safety |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198221000282 |
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