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Changing Buses: Commute Complexity and Academic Outcomes

Julia Burdick-Will & Marc Stein

Education Finance and Policy2026https://doi.org/10.1162/edfp.a.446article
ABDC A
Weight
0.50

Abstract

This study exploits a major overhaul of the public transportation system to examine the relationship between commute difficulty and academic outcomes. Specifically, we use administrative data from all high school students in the Baltimore City Public Schools during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years to compare the school mobility rates, attendance, and grade point averages of cohorts of students right before and after the overhaul. We use route fixed effects to compare students to their neighbors and classmates who would have had the same estimated commute to school if not for the system-wide changes in routes and schedules. Total travel time does not predict any of our outcomes, but we find that students in years when the commute required a bus transfer are more likely to change schools and to be absent. These findings imply that districts should prioritize direct routes to school for students whenever possible.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1162/edfp.a.446

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@article{julia2026,
  title        = {{Changing Buses: Commute Complexity and Academic Outcomes}},
  author       = {Julia Burdick-Will & Marc Stein},
  journal      = {Education Finance and Policy},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1162/edfp.a.446},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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