Immigration has altered the demographic composition of California where the foreign-born population now comprises more than one-quarter of the population. Despite this staggering figure, surprisingly little academic scholarship has focused on the travel patterns and behavior of immigrants. Existing studies on this population group have largely centered on their use of public transit, yet most immigrants travel by automobile. In this study, we use data from the 2000 Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) of the U.S. Census and multinomial logistic models to examine the carpooling behavior of foreign-born workers in California relative to solo driving, public transit, and walking. The models focus on the effect of nativity, length of residency, and race and ethnicity on mode choice. The findings show that with time in the U.S. immigrants tend to assimilate away from alternative modes of transportation (carpool, public transit, and walking) toward solo driving. Despite this trend, the odds of carpooling for Asian and Hispanic immigrants remain high even after many years in the U.S. These findings help us to better understand the prevalence and role of resource sharing among immigrant households. Further, they will aid transportation planners in planning for the transportation needs of this growing population group.
Abstract