GIS Mapping in Australia Shows How Transit Reduces Auto Dependence

GIS mapping in Melbourne, Australia, on patterns of car ownership shows that transit works: the closer one is to a rail transit line, the less need there is for a car. The farther away, the greater the need for multiple cars. In the image accompanying this post, the purple areas – where 50% or more households own no cars or only one – track the area’s rail transit lines. In the dark green areas, which extend from the transit lines, 20-40% of households own no cars or only one.

For more maps, including those tracking two- and three-car households, and some explanation of how they were derived, go here.

Kaid Benfield is director for sustainable communities and smart growth at The Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, DC. He has his own blog on land development and community issues and enjoys contributing here, too, since there is so much common ground.

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