• The average commute time for all workers has increased from 22 minutes in 1990 to 26 in 2017. While Black workers had the longest commute time on average in 1990 at 25 minutes, Asian or Pacific Islander workers now have the longest average commute time at 30 minutes.

• Workers in North Eastern states like Maryland and New York had the longest commute times while workers in central states like South Dakota and North Dakota had the shortest commute times. 

• Native American workers have the shortest commute time on average out of all ethnic and racial groups for all modes of transportation. 

• While Asian or Pacific Islander workers have the average longest commute time overall, Black workers who commute by public transportation have the longest commute time out of all ethnic and racial groups.

People of color face longer commute times than White people because of the country’s long history of racial segregation. The expropriation of land from Indigenous people along with racially discriminatory practices such as redlining and racially restrictive housing covenants have led to the economic dispossession and exclusion of communities of color. These practices also made communities of color more vulnerable to displacement due to gentrification. As urban housing prices skyrocket, people of color are increasingly pushed out of urban areas and away from their employers. As most cities in the United States lack quality public transportation, people of color increasingly face longer commute times.

• Build robust public transit systems including buses, bus rapid transit, and shared rides that connect low-income communities to jobs, education and training opportunities, and services.
• Expand transit options in rural communities, including van pools, shuttles, low-income car ownership programs, and bus routes.
• Coordinate housing, economic development, and transportation investments in regions to increase access and reduce emissions.
• Encourage employers to offer transportation options/subsidies and help employees live near work.
• Create transit-oriented developments (TODs) in ways that expand affordability and access for low-income residents and prevent displacement of both people and small businesses.
• Expand regional transportation networks to cover more communities, including suburbs where more low-wage workers are living.
• At the federal level, invest in public transportation infrastructure in high-need communities and provide aid to local governments to prevent cuts in transportation spending.

• Reports: Measures Matter: Ensuring Equitable Implementation of Los Angeles County Measures M & A; Advancing Transportation Equity: Research and Practice; Those Who Need it Most: Maximizing Transit Accessibility and Removing Barriers to Employment in Areas of Concentrated Poverty; Too Far from Jobs: Spatial Mismatch and Hourly Workers
• Data: The H+T® Affordability Index; All Transit