Arlington County officials said their investment in multiple transit options and efforts to provide alternatives to driving are paying off, as recent U.S. Census Bureau figures show residents are using mass transit more often than private cars.

The county “tries to provide options that don’t require a car,” said Arlington demographer Justin Clarke. “People are driving less and taking transit.”

According to the census report, 39 percent of workers along Arlington’s Metro corridors use public transportation. This is more than Boston, Chicago and San Francisco.

The report also found 10 percent of housing units have no car, that commute time is the lowest in the national capital region, and 4.2 percent of residents can walk to work.

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“Commuting around here is a big deal,” Clarke said, adding that short commutes and the ability to walk to work make the county more attractive to businesses and workers.

Clarke said the census findings reinforce an Arlington transportation survey conducted this year that found only 47 percent of residents commute to work alone by car, compared with 74 percent regionally. The county also found Arlington residents are more likely than their neighbors to use public transportation or walk.

The Arlington survey also found 88 percent of residents said their quality of life was good or very good, in part, because of transportation options.

dfrancis@dcexaminer.com