Transportation Equity

Traffic Safety in Communities of Color

Gantz, Toni
De La Garza, Enrique J.
Ragland, David R.
Cohen, Larry
2003

Over the past half-century in the United States, medical advances, improvements in road and vehicle design, and traffic safety efforts have all helped in reducing traffic-related injury and death. However, research suggests that among the US population, certain ethnic groups, namely African Americans,* American Indians, and Latinos, continue to face higher traffic-related risk. Among all US ethnic groups, motor-vehicle injury is a leading contributor to unnecessary injury and premature death. Improving traffic safety outcomes among these groups could help reduce their overall health...

Traffic Safety Among Latino Populations in California: Current Status and Policy Recommendations

Cooper, Jill F.
Wilder, Tammy R.
Lankina, Elena
Geyer, Judy A.
Ragland, David R.
2015

This report summarizes the information gained from two community forums held in Latino communties in California, provides an analysis of trends in injury and demographic data, and reviews best practices for increasing safety and preventing injury in Latino populations. It highlights pressing traffic safety needs and presents recommendations. It is our goal that this report will serve as a prototype for policy, enforcement and program development to address traffic safety issues for Latinos in California.

Removing Barriers for Seniors at Transit Stops and Stations and the Potential for Transit Ridership Growth

Babka, Rhinna Jolris
Zheng, Joseph
Cooper, Jill
Ragland, David R.
2008

As the baby boomer generation ages there is an increased need for older adult sensitive transportation. Currently a small percentage of older adults utilize public transit; however, the utilization rates are likely to increase as the corresponding population of older adults increases. Older adults are a diverse population and it is likely that future generations of older adults will require a wider range of transit options.The current research addresses (i) barriers for older adults at transit stops and stations, and (ii) older adult public transit habits and attitudes. This discussion...

Safe Routes for Older Adults

McMillan, Tracy
Lopez, Ana
Cooper, Jill
2018

Whether rural, suburban or urban dweller, transportation is a critical lifeline to meet the needs of daily living, maintain independence and enable social connection. Walking and bicycling are important transportation alternatives to motor vehicle travel. They are also important sources of physical activity and social connectedness. Creating and/or enhancing environments to be more supportive of walking and bicycling has been a significant initiative within the transportation and health communities for over a decade, with important progress in many locations. Rates of walking and bicycling...

Social Equity Impacts of Congestion Management Strategies

Shaheen, Susan, PhD
Stocker, Adam
Meza, Ruth
2019

This white paper examines the social equity impacts of various congestion management strategies. The paper includes a comprehensive list of 30 congestion management strategies and a discussion of equity implications related to each strategy. The authors analyze existing literature and incorporate findings from 12 expert interviews from academic, non-governmental organization (NGO), public, and private sector respondents to strengthen results and fill gaps in understanding. The literature review applies the Spatial – Temporal – Economic – Physiological – Social (STEPS) Equity Framework (...

Innovative Mobility Services & Technologies: A Pathway Towards Transit Flexibility, Convenience, and Choice

Shaheen, Susan A.
2012

The number of senior citizens is expected to double by the year 2020, representing 18% of the nation’s population. After age 75, driving performance begins to decline due to changes in health and medication effects. Indeed, one quarter of seniors over 75 are expected to require alternative transportation services in the future. This chapter examines transit and innovative mobility options to better meet the needs of the growing older population in the near (2011) and more distant (2021) future. Barriers to transit use among older adults include anxiety and confusion about using transit;...

Leveraging the Sharing Economy to Expand Shelter and Transportation Resources in California Evacuations

Wong, Stephen
Shaheen, Susan
2019

In 2017 and 2018, California was severely impacted by a number of devastating wildfires that required thousands of people to evacuate. These evacuations were hampered by poor communication, traffic congestion, and transportation and shelter resource deficiencies. To ensure that all citizens have both transportation and shelter in evacuations, agencies must consider alternative strategies for expanding resources, such as leveraging the sharing economy. To understand the possibility of leveraging the sharing economy to provide housing and transportation in an evacuation, researchers at the...

Roundtrip Carsharing in New York City: An Evaluation of a Pilot Program and System Impacts

Martin, Elliot, PhD
Stocker, Adam
Nichols, Aqshems
Shaheen, Susan, PhD
2021

The study found that roundtrip carsharing in NYC mostly serves as a substitute for car rental, other personal vehicle modes, and personal vehicle ownership. The analysis showed that the broader pilot program had a modest impact on user behavior through carsharing (i.e., reduced vehicle ownership, reduced VMT, and mode shift). It also found that the pilot program likely expanded the membership base of carsharing to demographic cohorts that are traditionally underrepresented in carsharing populations (i.e., increased participation by lower education levels, lower household incomes, minority...

Bridging the Income and Digital Divide with Shared Automated Electric Vehicles

Lazarus, Jessica
Bauer, Gordon, PhD
Greenblatt, Jeffery, PhD
Shaheen, Susan, PhD
2021

This research investigates strategies to improve the mobility of low-income travelers by incentivizing the use of electric SAVs (SAEVs) and public transit. We employ two agent-based simulation engines, an activity-based travel demand model of the San Francisco Bay Area, and vehicle movement data from the San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles Basin to model emergent travel behavior of commute trips in response to subsidies for TNCs and public transit. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the impacts of different subsidy scenarios on mode choices, TNC pooling and match rates,...

Integrating Vehicle Design and Human Factors: Minimizing Elderly Driving Constraints

Shaheen, Susan
Niemeier, Debbie
2001

With a projected rise in the number of elderly, most of whom have also relied primarily on the private automobile for their mobility, it is likely that future adaptations in vehicle design will be linked in some part to the physical infirmities often faced by the elderly. This paper offers a bridge between medical research on the physical impairments of the elderly and automobile design and driving safety. We describe recent findings on the driving-related physical and cognitive impairments faced by the elderly. We then propose two major types of vehicle design and infrastructure...