Working Toward Equality, Updated, Race, Employment, and Public Transportation in Erie County

Abstract

"As documented in the 2016 PPG report, “Working Toward Equality,” there are severe racial disparities in employment and earnings in Erie County. In this report, we update the data from the 2016 report and add new research and analysis about one important barrier: the lack of adequate transportation connecting people of color to jobs. In Erie County, people of color are disproportionately concentrated in high-poverty urban neighborhoods, but jobs, especially quality jobs, are increasingly scattered outside the city, inaccessible or poorly served by public transit. Better-funded public transportation, along with more transit-oriented development and smart growth policies, will produce more racial equity while also reducing poverty and protecting the environment."