Not So Fast: Traffic Delays, Access, and Economic Activity in Greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area
Brief
Taner Osman | Brian D. Taylor | Trevor Thomas
December 2016
Traffic congestion is a major economic threat for American cities because it wastes commuters’ time and inhibits business growth. But how important are high travel speeds in the ability of workers to access jobs and in the locational choices of new firms? Little research examines how travel speeds and distance combine across a large region like Los Angeles or the Bay Area, to determine overall accessibility. To address this gap in knowledge, we examined the relative effect of average travel speeds and proximity upon job access and new firm formations in Greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.
