Abstract
Concerns about the environmental impacts of transportation have made reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) a policy priority. One way to decrease VMT is to decrease the length of commuting trips, and to get commuters out of their private vehicles. Although many studies have investigated the determinants of commuting, few have analyzed the linkage between housing costs and commuting.
To address this gap, researchers at UC Irvine developed a model that jointly explains commuting time and distance, and accounts for residential self-selection (i.e., where someone chooses to live), the effect of car ownership, and key land use characteristics around both residences and workplaces. The research focused on Los Angeles County. Census data shows that the average commute time for Los Angeles County residents pre-pandemic was 32.8 minutes, 18.8 percent higher than the national average.
