Surface Transportation Policy Project and the Center for Neighborhood Technology

Family Transportation Costs Highest in Sprawling Cities

A November 2000 report finds that sprawl drives up transportation costs for American families.

The average American family living in an area of serious sprawl can pay thousands of dollars more per year for transportation than families in more convenient locations, according to Driven to Spend, a report released by the Surface Transportation Policy Project and the Center for Neighborhood Technology. It analyzes government data on consumer expenditures, ranking 28 major metro areas by the portion of the family budget devoted to daily transportation costs.

The report finds that the metro areas where transportation takes the biggest bite out of the household budget are Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, and Detroit, followed by Minneapolis, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Tampa. Much of the difference in transportation expenditures is the result of sprawling development patterns, as shown by analysis of land use and transportation factors detailed in the report.