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Study: Jobs, Not Housing, Near Public Transit Reduces Traffic

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - Having jobs near public transit is more effective than housing near public transit when it comes to getting drivers out of their cars, according to a new study.

Previous conventional wisdom was the other way around: that building "transit villages" around public transit stations would get more people away from driving.

That notion may not be working, according to research fellow from the Public Policy Institute of California, Louise Bedsworth.

KCBS' Janice Wright Reports:

If the state is going to meet the targets of a 2008 law to reduce passenger vehicle use, Bedsworth said we might need to reassess policies aimed at more ease and convenience.

"It's easy for people to get from their house and drive to a transit station to get to work and then walk to their job," said Bedsworth.

However, it's much harder to make a connection to another mode once you get to the end of your trip, she said.

"You have to do something about the cost of driving," added Bedsworth referring to a higher gas tax and congestion pricing.

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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