Assessing job-access inequity for transit-based workers across space and race with the Palma ratio

ABSTRACT This study examines the job-access inequity between the richest 10% and poorest 40% transit-based workers across space (i.e. central city, the inner-ring/outer-ring suburb) and race (i.e. white, black and Hispanic) in Chicago. The results indicate that there are job-access inequities across both space and race. In terms of job-access inequity across race, there are more job-access inequities for whites and blacks than for Hispanics. In terms of job-access inequity across space, the central city has the least cross-race inequities while the outer-ring suburb has the most cross-race inequities. Overall, job-access inequities are more serious across space than across race.