Persistent Racial Differences in the Commutes of Kansas City Workers

Abstract

An extensive body of research shows significant racial differences in work travel patterns (e.g., see Holzer, 1991, for a review). In the past, much of the studies on racial differences in commuting focused on men and excluded women. However, the increase in women's labor force participation has been accompanied by an increase in studies devoted to gender differences in the journey to work (e.g., Madden, 1981). Early studies concluded that women work closer to home than do men, but many studies generally assumed that working women of all racial groups have shorter work trips than do men (see Sanders, 1990, for a critique). This assumption was unfounded because research exists that documents racial differences in commuting. In light of the documented evidence on both racial and gender differences in access to employment and housing (e.g., Bullard, 1990;Darden, 1990), it is imperative that research studies should differentiate between White and non-White males and females when studying commuting behavior. Studies that investigate racial differences in locational access to employment can inform analysts and policy makers about the impact of past and continuing employment suburbanization on the socioeconomic well-being of African American men and women.Research on racial differences in locational access to employment falls under the umbrella of the spatial mismatch hypothesis. 651 AUTHOR'S NOTE: The author acknowledges the support of Ron Conklin in producing the graphs.

Commuting Constraints of Black Female Workers in Atlanta: An Examination of the Spatial Mismatch Hypothesis in Married-Couple, Dual-Earner Households

“…E-mail: sultase@auburn.edu. spend more time commuting than do White workers (McLafferty and Preston, 1991, 1996, 1997Johnston-Anumonwo, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001. The longer commutes of Blacks is suggested as a problem of spatial mismatch, based on the pioneering work by John F. Kain (1968).…”

“…The commuting direction between central cities and suburbs has been relatively neglected in commuting research, with the exception of Johnston-Anumonowa (1997,2000,2001). It is particularly important to investigate commuting direction of women workers because their labor market activity takes place within more spatially restricted geographical areas (Johnston-Anumonwo, 2001). Any form of segmentation that concentrates the spatial distribution of job opportunities for Black women may increase their commuting times relative to those of White women.…”

Assessing the Distribution of Commuting Trips and Jobs-Housing Balance Using Smart Card Data: A Case Study of Nanjing, China

“…The spatial mismatch was firstly proposed due to a phenomenon in the US that African Americans lived in inner cities were separated from job opportunities in the suburbs [7]. Existing literature on spatial mismatch has been focused on the difference of commutes between minority and others [16], without the consideration of the distribution of jobs and housing. Moreover, prior studies usually put their emphasis on the analysis of influences result from the change of locations of jobs or housing on minority commutes not on how urban structure affect commuting options for different groups [17].…”

Comparison of Socioeconomic and Demographic Profiles of Extreme Commuters in Several U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas

“…By the 2000 census, the number of extreme commuters increased by 95% and totaled 3.4 million. Thus, given such recent growth, the media speculates that this lim-Still others compare differences in travel times by gender, race, and class (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21). Thus numerous studies have attempted to explain commuting behavior in a variety of contexts; however, formal treatment specific to extreme commuters is missing from these analyses.…”

“…For example, Johnston-Anumonwo's study of 1990 census data of workers residing in Buffalo, New York, shows that women engage in more compromised (short commutes to low-wage employment) or constrained (long commutes to low-wage employment) than men (33). In both Johnston-Anumonwo's study of 1990 census data (33) and a study of the Kansas City metropolitan area (17 ), the fact that more African-American women than their white counterparts engage in constrained trips indicates a link to the spatial mismatch hypothesis. Similarly, Hanson and Pratt make a compelling argument for the mutually reinforcing effects of the individual's preference for shorter commutes and a firm's desire to retain a type of laborer with a tolerance for low wages (34).…”