Affordability is an Often-Overlooked Transportation Planning Issue – Planetizen
By Todd Litman
There is a serious disconnect between what travelers want and the type of transportation systems planning produce. Currently, the majority of transportation infrastructure spending is devoted to roads and parking facilities; this reflects a planning process that that prioritizes speed over other goals, and therefore faster modes over slower but more affordable, inclusive and resource-efficient modes. Yet, that is not what transportation system users want.
One National Household Travel Surveys asked respondents to prioritize transportation problems. It found that the highest ranking problem was not traffic congestion, crash risk, pollution or inadequate mobility options for non-drivers, the problem that users considered worst was the “Price of travel,” or what I call unaffordability.
Affordability is the most overlooked and undervalued transportation planning goal. Transportation agencies have clearly defined goals, targets and performance indicators for increasing traffic speeds, reducing congestion, improving safety, reducing emissions, and sometimes for social equity, but few even mention affordability, and I've found none that have measurable targets or effective ways of evaluating whether a particular planning decisions increases or reduces overall affordability. This is a major planning failure.
