People, Jobs, and Transportation

Public works officials responsible for planning and running transit systems, managing urban streets and highways, or operating special-purpose transportation systems have critical roles to play in helping to reconnect poor, inner-city communities to jobs and other opportunities throughout the metropolitan region. And they should consider the consequences of infrastructure design and management decisions on the concentration of inner-city poverty. This article focuses on emerging job-linkage strategies, which help people who live in inner-city neighborhoods find out about and commute to employment opportunities throughout the metropolitan region. These strategies offer not only the benefits of stable employment to individuals and their families, but also the potential for increased income flowing into distressed neighborhoods where it can help fuel local economic development.