Report: Car ownership is on the decline in Midtown

As Midtown leaders strive to make the neighborhood more welcoming to pedestrians, cyclists, and mass transit users, many residents and workers in the area appear to be ditching their cars.

That’s according to Midtown Alliance’s recent community survey, which asked more than 5,000 people, among other things, how they prefer to move around the city.

Roughly 23 percent of respondents who both live and work in Midtown said they own fewer cars now than in years past.

Those who live but don’t work there experienced a 17 percent drop in car ownership, and those who work but don’t live there saw a 9 percent decline.

Midtown Alliance

The survey also made it abundantly clear that Midtown residents and workers want better infrastructure to support alternative modes of transportation.

About 96 percent of people surveyed said boosting walkability should be the top priority, per the report.

Forty-two percent said e-scooters should be high or very high on that priority list, and just 39 percent said the same about cars—a drop from 50 percent in 2016.

Midtown Alliance

Since the 2013 survey—Midtown Alliance officials conduct one every three years—an interest in mass transit investment spiked more than that of any other mode of transportation.

Six years ago, 74 percent of respondents said expanding transit services should be a high priority. Now, 90 percent say the same.