Job Accessibility by Transit
About the measures
Accessibility measures evaluate how easily people can reach destinations, not just how fast they can travel. Accessibility can be measured by a number of destinations, but jobs are the most significant non-home destination. Job accessibility is an important consideration in deciding the desirability of an area. MnDOT analyzes all components of a transit journey, including access and egress walking segments and transfers, to estimate the number of jobs within a 30-minute transit commute. MnDOT also tracks the measure by Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). MPOs are entities designated by law with the lead responsibility for developing transportation plans and coordinating the transportation planning process for metropolitan areas with over 50,000 people. Minnesota has eight MPOs.
Recent trends
In 2021, a statewide average of 14,300 jobs were accessible within a 30-minute transit ride, which is nearly a 1,000 job increase from the 2020 total. By MPO, the Metropolitan Council, which covers the Twin Cities metropolitan area, had the largest number of jobs accessible by automobile within 30 minutes. Every other MPO had significantly lower numbers of jobs accessible by transit. However, the differences in job access across MPOs reflects differences in land use, population density, travel impedances, job opportunities, and multimodal transportation options.
Where we want to go
MnDOT partners with MPOs to expand the transit options available to Minnesotans through projects increased bus routes and services.