Normal for whom? Exploring socioeconomic variation in a travel cost analysis of urban shoreline fishing

A travel cost analysis based on the multivariate Poisson-log normal model explores the varying effects of income and race/ethnicity on visitation to a low-cost urban blue space amenity for angling. Using data from an on-site survey in San Francisco Bay, we estimate a consumer surplus value of $78 per angling visit, which breaks down into $74, $91 and $45 for low, medium and high income brackets, respectively, questioning the normal good assumption for environmental amenities in close proximity to large, diverse urban populations. Further, income effects vary across race/ethnicity groups whose representation at the shoreline contrasts with the local managing municipality, revealing the location’s value as a regional resource. Both observed and contingent behavior information estimated simultaneously within the model shows that a quality change in the form of a reopened pier would almost double visitation, with the largest relative increase among wealthier anglers. The paper contributes to analysis of access and equity in outdoor recreation by illustrating distinct features of urban shoreline fishing, with implications for multilayered coastal governance and competing policy agendas.