Thank you to Jesus Barajas, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, who presented Perspectives on Transportation Equity at the Transportation Seminar Oct. 4, 2024.
Abstract: Dying in a traffic crash was the fourth leading cause of death in 2019. Pedestrian and bicycle fatalities have been rapidly increasing over the last dozen years, with particularly sharp increases in deaths since the onset of Covid-19. Federal and state level safety policies have adopted a Safe System approach to address the safety epidemic, which involves data-driven safety analysis combined with improvements in street design, improving safety culture, and enforcement of traffic laws. While this approach often identifies disadvantaged communities as sites for targeted infrastructure interventions, so too are they disproportionately impacted by police enforcement. This presentation will share findings from equity-focused research on the intersection of transportation safety and police enforcement and offer a research agenda for informing and reforming policy.
Bio: Jesus M. Barajas is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California, Davis. His research on transportation equity addresses how systems of inequities influence travel behavior and how policymakers respond. He has led projects on topics including travel behavior, bicycling safety, the implications of policing for transportation planning, and the use of equity data and metrics in transportation decision making. Some of his ongoing work examines barriers to access to zero-emission vehicles, equity in transportation grant programs, and the links between disability, safety, and travel behavior. He holds a PhD in City and Regional Planning from UC Berkeley.