More often than not, transit is viewed as a public good reserved for bigger cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, and Washington, DC. However, scores of suburban communities have invested in transit to give residents more affordable and reliable ways to reach jobs, services, and other important destinations.
A misconception about suburbia
While the United States does not have a formal definition of the “suburbs,” many Americans live in communities that could fit this description. Broadly speaking, suburbs are areas on the outskirts of a bigger city or town center. They are primarily made up of single-family homes and often separate housing from other land uses such as shopping and jobs. Suburbs typically have a reputation for being cheaper than cities, offering more space and a higher quality of life, and overall are seen as more desirable than cities. However, these residential communities are not always a white-picket-fence utopias they are assumed to be.
There’s a stereotype that poverty persists more heavily in cities, but there are more people in poverty in the suburbs than in their urban counterparts. In 2015, there were 16 million poor households in the suburbs, outnumbering the number of poor households in cities by 3 million. Many broad factors contribute (land-use development, economic growth, population trends, etc.), as well as the prevalence of low-wage service jobs in suburban areas, a lack of public transit investments, and the cost of owning and maintaining a car. This does not mean that the increase in poverty in the suburbs over the years is exclusively due to the price tag on driving a car and low-wage jobs. However, it is a factor that needs consideration when discussing affordability. The suburbs are facing their own unique poverty challenges, and driving down transportation costs must be a factor in providing economic relief.
The suburbs are also losing their reputation as a cheaper alternative to cities. On a price-per-square-foot basis, suburban homes are more expensive in just over half (53 percent) of the 100 largest metros. The trend is not limited to large, coastal metro areas. Even smaller metropolitan areas in the Midwest are seeing higher prices in their suburbs. For example, in Toledo, Ohio, homes in the urban core average about $114,144, while homes in the suburbs average $299,569, more than double the price of homes in the city.
Even if households can find cheaper housing in the suburbs, those savings can quickly disappear once the cost of owning a car is factored in. Communities across the country are feeling the effects of the affordability crisis, and transportation is the second-largest household expense after rent or mortgage payments. Owning a car costs roughly $13,000 annually—about 17 percent of the typical household budget—once insurance, gasoline, oil changes, maintenance, and repairs are included. In contrast, the 2024 average annual cost of transit is about $1,131 a year or roughly $94 a month.
Transit is needed everywhere, including the suburbs
People in all types of places want transit—not just big cities. In 2024, 46 of 53 ballot measures to raise funds and taxes for transit projects passed, an 86.7 percent success rate, showing strong voter support for transit investment across the board. These wins include suburban communities like Flagstaff, AZ, where voters extended their existing sales tax rate with an additional 0.205 percent to fund fleet electrification, expanded service hours, and improved frequency. In Owosso, MI, residents also approved a measure to secure funding for operational expenses around public transit.
On top of these wins, access to public transportation remains one of the top considerations for potential homebuyers and renters, because transit offers both cheaper transportation costs and reduces environmental impacts. When suburban areas invest in transit, those communities benefit from stronger connections to jobs, services, and important destinations.
Voters in the City of Bellevue, a suburb of Seattle, WA, supported regional transit funding ballot initiatives in 2008 and 2016 that included the East Link Extension, a 14-mile light rail track that added ten stations and provided service every eight minutes during peak hours. The project connects Bellevue to the broader Seattle region and reflects the enthusiasm suburban residents have for better connectivity. As a result, Bellevue has expanded economic opportunities and boosted its appeal as a destination for talent and investment.
Getting suburban transit right means households can choose to go without a second or third vehicle and save thousands in monthly car payments. It also means safer options for teenage travelers and an alternative to growing traffic congestion. But successful suburban transit depends on reliable, frequent service that people can actually use. An example of successful suburban transit can also be found outside the United States. Brampton, Ontario, Canada, a low-density suburb outside Toronto, increased bus ridership to over 200,000 average weekday riders by focusing on frequency and reliability. Brampton Transit originally considered building an expensive light rail line, but instead upgraded existing bus service to a high-frequency network. With reliable all-day service across the city, residents could depend on transit even during busy periods. The result was a 288 percent ridership growth from 2004 to 2018.
Looking ahead
With traffic congestion worsening, the ongoing road safety crisis, and increasingly expensive vehicles, suburban residents need more options for getting around and reaching key destinations. Urban, suburban, and rural communities all benefit greatly from frequent and reliable transit service, which lowers transportation costs and leads to better connectivity to services and jobs. The upcoming surface reauthorization presents an opportunity to expand these options for communities of all sizes. T4America is calling for reforms to invest in more transportation options for communities of all types to help address the affordability crisis, improve connectivity, reduce congestion, and drive down emissions.
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