Access Across America: Auto 2024

Gains in employment opportunities outpaced increases in congestion to improve overall access to jobs by auto

Access Across America: Auto 2024 shows that increases in employment opportunities outpaced worsening congestion in major U.S. metropolitan areas, leading to higher overall year over year access to jobs by auto.   

San Jose and Minneapolis broke into the top five U.S. metro areas with the most jobs reachable by auto, joining Los Angeles, New York and Dallas. The metro areas with the highest auto accessibility gains were Las Vegas and Louisville; San Antonio and Jacksonville also saw strong year over year growth.

The Los Angeles metro area, with its extensive roadway system and high number of regional jobs, stands out by having both the highest number of jobs accessible by driving and the second-highest in reduction in access to jobs due to congestion. There are more than 1.5 million jobs accessible within a 30-minute drive, but traffic congestion restricts the average worker from accessing 64% of those during peak travel times compared to free-flow periods.   

Now tracked by comparable methods over a decade by the Accessibility Observatory, the findings presented in Access Across America have a range of uses and implications. State departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, and local government agencies can apply the evaluations to performance goals related to congestion, reliability, and sustainability. In addition, detailed accessibility evaluation can help in selecting between project alternatives and prioritizing investments.