The Burden of Choice? Assessing the Impact of School Choice on Student Travel and Household Activity in Philadelphia

35 Pages Posted: 17 Aug 2019 Last revised: 5 Nov 2019

See all articles by Ariel H. Bierbaum

Ariel H. Bierbaum

University of Maryland

Jesus M. Barajas

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Urban and Regional Planning

Date Written: February 28, 2019

Abstract

The debate over school choice generally neglects the effects of school choice on student and household travel, and additional work is needed to understand how transportation policies foster educational equity or exacerbate inequity in large urban school districts. This study examines how school choice affects household travel behavior in Philadelphia. School choice creates access to better neighborhoods and schools, but at a cost of increased and inefficient travel. We offer direction for how education administrators and transportation planners can use disparate sources of data to estimate school policy effects and call for improved data collection by local and regional planners.

Keywords: Educational Equity, School Access, School Travel, School Choice, Household Activity and Travel, Travel Behavior

Suggested Citation

Bierbaum, Ariel and Barajas, Jesus M., The Burden of Choice? Assessing the Impact of School Choice on Student Travel and Household Activity in Philadelphia (February 28, 2019). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3437125 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3437125

Ariel Bierbaum

University of Maryland ( email )

College Park
College Park, MD 20742
United States

Jesus M. Barajas (Contact Author)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Urban and Regional Planning ( email )

611 E. Lorado Taft Drive
Temple Buell Hall
Champaign, IL 61821
United States

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