Transit Raises Property Values, Lowers Poverty

Neighborhoods with transit access enjoy higher property values and lower poverty rates, according to a new study by researchers at Cleveland State University.

The study isolated neighborhoods in Cleveland that gained transit access after previously lacking it, using statistical modeling to control for other factors. The research team found that neighborhoods that gained access to transit saw property values rise by 3.5 percent and poverty rates fall by almost 13 percent after 10 years. Those neighborhoods saw overall employment climb 3.5 percent.

“RTA is fantastic investment for taxpayers,” said Obed Pasha, an assistant professor at Cleveland State and one of the studies authors. “Not only does it help lift people out of poverty, it helps revitalize neighborhoods.”

Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority spends about $182 million annually in Cuyahoga County. Between commuting, rides to medical appointments, trips to school and consumer shopping trips, the study estimated the agency returns about $321 million annually in economic activity, the study estimated. That includes $23 million in annual savings for the Cleveland Municipal School District.

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