“Half of NC's community colleges not within walkable transit”
Fewer than half of North Carolina's community college campuses (48%) have a public transit stop within walking distance, according to a new analysis from the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation.
In comparison, the SHS Foundation found the nationwide rate was 57%, putting North Carolina below average.
Most people are willing to walk up to half a mile to a transit stop, according to research from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Of note: Most people are willing to walk up to half a mile to a transit stop, according to researchfrom the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Why it matters: More than a third of all students in the U.S. attend community college, and nearly all of them have to commute to class — a potential burden for some of the state’s low-income students. In North Carolina, more than 500,000 people attend community colleges annually.
Those students spend an average of $1,840 on transit per year, Abigail Seldin, CEO of the SHS Foundation tells Axios.
Without consistent and easily accessible transit options, Seldin adds, students that lack access to a car could be discouraged from seeking higher education — a significant driver of economic mobility in the state.
Read the full piece on AXIOS.
