Abstract

Millions of Canadians rely on public transportation to conduct daily activities and participate in the labour force. However, many are disadvantaged because existing public transit service does not provide sucient access to destinations. Limited transit options, compounded with socioeconomic factors like not having a private vehicle, can result in transport poverty, limiting travel to important destinations, like employment opportunities. Accordingly, the objective of this thesis is to develop accurate measures of accessibility to examine the degree to which the Canadian urban population can reach employment opportunities via public transit. These measures are used to analyze inequalities in accessibility with respect to socioeconomic status and estimate where, and to what extent, Canadians are at risk of transport poverty. This knowledge is able to inform policy aimed to increase transit ridership, reduce inequalities of transit accessibility, and limit transport-related barriers to activity participation.