Transit access analysis of TANF recipients in Portland, Oregon

Little evidence exists regarding the relationship between transit service availability and the ability of welfare recipients to find stable employment. While policymakers continue to assert that increased public transit mobility can positively affect employment status, there is little empirical evidence to support this theory. It. is generally assumed that public transit can effectively link unemployed, carless persons with appropriate job locations. From these assumptions stems the common belief that if adequate transit were available, the likelihood of being employed would increase. Hence, the call for more transit services to assist moving welfare recipients to gainful employment. Current available evidence is anecdotal, while general patterns of transit access and labor participation remain relatively unexplored.