Transit access disparities in a car-dependent metropolitan context: a socio-spatial analysis of transit deserts in Oklahoma city

Transportation equity emphasizes the fair distribution of transportation resources and access to mobility opportunities, yet disparities in access to public transit remain pronounced in highly automobile-oriented metropolitan areas. This study examines transit access disparities in Oklahoma City, a mid-sized, car-dependent metropolitan context in the central United States. Using block-group–level analysis, we integrate GIS-based supply–demand mapping with statistical and spatial econometric modeling to examine mismatches between transit supply and transit-dependent demand. Approximately 91,989 residents (13.24 %) are transit dependent. Of 725 block groups, 516 (71.2 %) have negative transit-gap values and are classified as transit deserts under the study’s operational definition. Transit dependency exhibits significant spatial clustering (Moran’s I = 0.088, p < 0.001), while the Spatial Lag Model indicates modest but significant spatial dependence (ρ = 0.146, p = 0.016). The limited explanatory power of the sociodemographic model (Adjusted R2 = 0.044) indicates that the measured sociodemographic characteristics alone do not adequately explain variation in transit dependency. The findings reveal a strong concentration of transit provision in the urban core alongside substantial peripheral supply–demand gaps. The study extends transit-desert research to an understudied mid-sized, car-dependent metropolitan context and contributes a complementary analytical framework integrating supply–demand mapping with spatial econometric analysis. The approach offers transferable insights for equity-oriented transit planning in similarly dispersed and automobile-oriented metropolitan regions.