Before and After a New Light Rail Stop: Resident Attitudes, Travel Behavior, and Obesity

Problem: Transit-oriented development has been shown to be socially desirable for a variety of reasons, but little is known about the benefits it provides to individual residents. Purpose: We used a natural experiment to better understand the value of convenient transit access to individuals. Methods: We queried 51 residents of a revitalizing, mixed-use, Salt Lake City neighborhood near the TRAX light rail line about their behaviors and attitudes, classifying them into three groups: nonriders; new riders, who reported recent rail rides only after the stop opened; and continuing riders, who reported recent rail rides both before and after the new stop opened. Participants wore accelerometers and completed surveys during two different time periods, one before and one after a new light rail stop opened in their neighborhood. Results and conclusions: Adjusted for income and employment, obesity was much higher among nonriders (65%) than new riders (26%) and continuing riders (15%). All other significant differences show the same pattern, with new riders' averages lying between the extremes of nonriders and continuing riders. Continuing riders had, on average, the largest number of moderate physical activity bouts, and reported the highest place attachment, the greatest neighborhood satisfaction, the most favorable attitudes toward transit-oriented development, took the fewest car rides, and had the least pro-suburban attitudes. New riders reported fewer car rides after the rail service started. The other group-by-time univariate interactions and the multivariate time main effect were insignificant. Takeaway for practice: Development with convenient transit access may provide benefits to individuals as well as improving societal sustainability. Planners may want to promote the personal benefits associated with living in transit-oriented development and rail use, including high levels of neighborhood satisfaction and place attachment among riders. Walkable designs, density bonuses, and signage or other methods of orienting transit riders to destinations within walking distance of stops may enable obese residents or others who are especially sensitive to walking distances to use rail. Research support: This work was supported by the University of Utah's Institute of Public and International Affairs, the University Research Committee, and the National Science Foundation grant ATM 0215768. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the National Science Foundation.