In rural America, young people overwhelmingly prefer driving to using other forms of transit, whether that's a function of the options available or natural preference is subject to debate.
A recent study from Montana State University found that, unlike their peers in suburban and urban communities, Millennials in rural areas prefer to drive. According to this study, 87% of Millennials from rural areas and small towns prefer to travel by car. "Just 0.5 percent of rural America uses public transportation to get to work, compared to 6.2 percent of urbanites," according to reporting from Aarian Marshall in Wired. The tendency to use automotive transport was not just a product of long work commutes, "Even among Millennials still in school, just one in five want to use the bus, while three quarters are still all about cars," Marshall writes.
What causes this stated preference is debatable, it could be that the infrastructure doesn't exist and so it's hard for Millennials in these communities to express a preference for something they haven’t experienced, or it could be that this is a deeply rooted value. The authors of the study tell Marshall that the transit options of rural communities is an area that hasn't been studied enough, and that they hope the question of what causes the car preference will motivate future study.
FULL STORY: Rural Millennials Still Dig Driving. Well, They Have No Choice
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The dominant narrative is that streets are for cars and infrastructure that accommodates driving is necessary for cities to grow. But cities ended up this way because of decisions that make other modes secondary.
Forget the Bean Bag Chair: Workers Just Want Short Commutes
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‘Forward Together’ Bus System Redesign Rolling Out in Portland
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Plan to Potentially Remove Downtown Milwaukee’s Interstate Faces Public Scrutiny
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Can New York City Go Green Without Renewable Rikers?
New York City’s bold proposal to close the jail on Rikers Island and replace it with green infrastructure is in jeopardy. Will this compromise the city’s ambitious climate goals?
700-Acre Master-Planned Community Planned in Utah
A massive development plan is taking shape for lakefront property in Vineyard, Utah—on the site of a former U.S. Steel Geneva Works facility.
More Cities Ponder the End of Drive-Thrus
Drive-thru fast food restaurants might be a staple of American life, but several U.S. cities are actively considering prohibiting the development of new drive-thrus for the benefit of traffic safety, air quality, and congestion.
Air Pollution World’s Worst Public Health Threat, Report Says
Air pollution is more likely to take years life off the lifespan of the average human than any other external factor, according to a recent report out of the University of Chicago.
Placer County
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