The Proximity of Public Transportation to Food Banks in Essex County, MA

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The Department of Agriculture reports that in 2014 approximately 9.6 percent of households in Massachusetts struggled with food insecurity (Status Report on Hunger in Massachusetts). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation, food security is defined as existing “when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” (Coleman-Jensen) Of the 9.6 percent food insecure households in Massachusetts, 4.1 percent face “very low food security” (Status Report on Hunger in Massachusetts). 

In many communities, food banks fill a vital need, aiding residents in their daily challenge to achieve food security. In Essex County alone, there are currently 26 food banks providing this vital help to families and individuals. However, for those who lack access to reliable transportation of their own, public transportation can be a crucial factor in accessing the benefits of food banks.

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The vast majority of food bank locations in Essex County have MBTA stops within a mile walk — with many in significantly closer proximity to public transportation. This is good news for people in communities like Lynn, Salem, and Lawrence who have relatively easy access to food banks via public transportation. As the map below reveals, however, the plight of those in Middleton, Lynnfield, and Amesbury is more challenging, given that the closest public transportation is more than a mile away.

Many factors determine food security and many more factors can play a role in alleviating hunger from the lives of people in communities across Essex County. Careful selection of food pantry locations to ensure the easiest accessibility possible by people from all walks of life is one way of maximizing the positive impact that food pantries can have.

The map below shows the location of Essex County’s 26 food banks, along with the MBTA stops in closest proximity to each of them.