In 2019, the percentage of population with less than 20 minutes commuting to major employment centers using transit increased compared with 2015. An estimated 16.6 percent and 19.9 percent of the population could get to downtown Urbana or downtown Champaign respectively in less than 20 minutes, an increase of 2.4 and 8.4 percentage points respectively from 2015. 7.5 percent, 6 percent, and 3.9 percent of the population would spend less than 20 minutes using transit to arrive at the Country Fair, University Research Park, and Savoy, respectively.
Percentage of Population in the Study Area Arrive at employment centers in less than 20 minutes taking transit
| Year | Campus | Urbana | Champaign | Savoy | Country Fair | Research Park |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 28.3 | 14.2 | 11.5 | 1.2 | 7 | 6.7 |
| 2016 | 29.7 | 15.9 | 21 | 1.7 | 8 | 7.8 |
| 2017 | 29.2 | 16.2 | 20.1 | 1.7 | 5.1 | 8.8 |
| 2018 | 29.2 | 15.5 | 18.5 | 4.1 | 7.5 | 6.2 |
| 2019 | 25.3 | 16.6 | 19.9 | 3.9 | 7.5 | 6 |
When workers utilize public transportation for commuting, existing roadways are able to transport more people without constructing additional roads. Around 8 to 9 percent of all workers (16 years and older) used public transit for their daily commute in 2018 (most recent data available), which has been stable for the past three years.
Travel Mode to Work in the C-U Urbanized Area
| Transportation Mode | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Car, truck, or van: Drove alone | 62.6% | 61.4% | 63.1% | 62.6% | 62.5% | 62.9% | 63.9% | 63.8% | 64.9% |
| Car, truck, or van: Carpooled | 7.6% | 7.2% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 8.6% | 8.5% | 8.6% | 8.4% | 8.60% |
| Public transportation | 7.3% | 9.1% | 8.2% | 8.2% | 8.9% | 8.7% | 8.4% | 8.9% | 8.50% |
| Bicycle | 3.6% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.7% | 3.2% | 3.10% |
| Walked | 13.1% | 13.0% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 10.6% | 10.9% | 10.4% | 10.1% | 9.90% |
| Other means | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.8% | 1.1% | 0.90% |
| Worked at home | 5.1% | 5.3% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 5.5% | 5.0% | 4.3% | 4.5% | 4.10% |
CUUATS staff assessed whether transit routes have been improving residents’ access to employment centers by estimating the amount of time it would take to travel from different parts of the community to major employment centers on a C-U MTD bus during the morning rush hour on a weekday. Six major employment centers in the region were selected: the University of Illinois, downtown Urbana, downtown Champaign, the University Research Park, Country Fair, and Savoy Plaza.
The map below shows the distribution of transit travel times using C-U MTD service to each employment center during the morning rush hour. Click on the map for more detailed information for each location.