Housing and transportation are connected
The transportation system near your home influences which places you can access and how. For example, are there safe sidewalks connecting your home to the local library? If your spouse is using your shared vehicle, can you get to work easily by bus?
At the same time, the development patterns where you live impact what types of transportation are viable and how easy it is for you to travel between destinations. For example, light rail needs residential densities of at least 30 people per acre to be cost-effective, so areas with large lot and single-family housing patterns are unlikely to have light rail, while areas with a mix of multi-family housing options are more likely to support light rail.
The relationship between housing and transportation determines a household's access to opportunities, or their ability to get to important places and amenities such as healthcare, employment, childcare, education, retail, and more. Check out the Wasatch Front Regional Council's Access to Opportunities map below to see relative access among different areas along the Wasatch Front, including Weber County.
At the same time, the development patterns where you live impact what types of transportation are viable and how easy it is for you to travel between destinations. For example, light rail needs residential densities of at least 30 people per acre to be cost-effective, so areas with large lot and single-family housing patterns are unlikely to have light rail, while areas with a mix of multi-family housing options are more likely to support light rail.
The relationship between housing and transportation determines a household's access to opportunities, or their ability to get to important places and amenities such as healthcare, employment, childcare, education, retail, and more. Check out the Wasatch Front Regional Council's Access to Opportunities map below to see relative access among different areas along the Wasatch Front, including Weber County.
what does transportation have to do with housing affordability?
Housing affordability and transportation are related because housing and transportation are large parts of most household budgets. Did you know that, after housing, transportation is the second biggest part of the typical household's annual budget? How? Well, the average cost of owning and operating a car is $10,000 per year. When households spend more on transportation, they have less money available to spend on housing.
Transportation planning is therefore a critical component of planning for housing affordability. Concentrating a variety of housing options near public transit and in pedestrian-friendly and bikeable places allows households to save on transportation costs. (And, in comparison to traditional suburban development patterns, it also has a host of additional benefits: increased foot traffic to local businesses; decreased municipal utilities, services, and maintenance costs; increased neighborhood stability; healthier individuals and communities; decreased vehicle traffic; and more).
Transportation planning is therefore a critical component of planning for housing affordability. Concentrating a variety of housing options near public transit and in pedestrian-friendly and bikeable places allows households to save on transportation costs. (And, in comparison to traditional suburban development patterns, it also has a host of additional benefits: increased foot traffic to local businesses; decreased municipal utilities, services, and maintenance costs; increased neighborhood stability; healthier individuals and communities; decreased vehicle traffic; and more).