Achieving ‘Transportation Abundance’ Is All About Density

A few weeks ago, Zohran Mamdani became the newest mayor of New York City. A key reason why: In his campaign, Mamdani tapped into New Yorkers’ mounting frustration with the sky-high cost of living. Housing, the single largest expense for most American households, is especially exorbitant in the Big Apple, where the median rent on new leases tops $4,700, consuming more than half the income of one in three tenants.

But New Yorkers have less cause to complain about their next-largest expense: transportation. In 2023, those residing in the New York metro area spent 10.5% of their income on transportation, well below the national average of 13%. In Houston — often lauded as a beacon of affordability — transportation costs ate up about 20% of residents’ income.