The Effect of Public Transit on Social Opportunities for Ethnic Minority Populations
The Effect of Public Transit on Social Opportunities for Ethnic Minority Populations

Author: Talia M. McCray

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 166

ISBN-13:

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Travel time to destinations in the Austin area continues to rise during both peak and off-peak hours. With increased congestion and higher gas prices, some individuals are traveling more selectively and viewing public transit as a cost-saving alternative to the automobile. However, a substantial number of Austinites remain solely dependent on their automobiles for transportation. This study analyzes the travel patterns of students attending Huston-Tillotson University (HT), an Historical Black College and University (HBCU). This population does not utilize public transit, and is mostly car dependent. Reasons given include the need to be independent, the inefficiency of Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus (travel time and routes), condition of bus stops, and the fear of crime while waiting for a bus. During the Spring of 2009, focus groups were held on HT's campus, and surveys were distributed to the broader student body. From September 2009-May 2010, an environmental analysis of the built environment surrounding 38 bus stops in three locations was performed using an established survey tool. The researchers determined that both studies were necessary to test whether an environmental analysis would support the findings of the focus groups and student surveys. Using GIS, a cluster analysis of bus stop environments, and cumulative distribution functions to explore bus travel time to reported destinations, the researchers found that the students' perceptions were not always consistent with the environmental analysis. The cluster analysis revealed spatial differences when identifying negative attributes. However, none of the bus stop structures in the three areas were in very poor condition. The researchers suggest that a transit training program for HT students would be beneficial in improving ridership.

Communities in Action
Communities in Action

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2017-04-27

Total Pages: 583

ISBN-13: 0309452961

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In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Trains, Buses, People
Trains, Buses, People

Author: Christof Spieler

Publisher: Island Press

Published: 2018-10-23

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 1610919033

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What are the best transit cities in the US? The best Bus Rapid Transit lines? The most useless rail transit lines? The missed opportunities? In the US, the 25 largest metropolitan areas and many smaller cities have fixed guideway transit—rail or bus rapid transit. Nearly all of them are talking about expanding. Yet discussions about transit are still remarkably unsophisticated. To build good transit, the discussion needs to focus on what matters—quality of service (not the technology that delivers it), all kinds of transit riders, the role of buildings, streets and sidewalks, and, above all, getting transit in the right places. Christof Spieler has spent over a decade advocating for transit as a writer, community leader, urban planner, transit board member, and enthusiast. He strongly believes that just about anyone—regardless of training or experience—can identify what makes good transit with the right information. In the fun and accessible Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US Transit, Spieler shows how cities can build successful transit. He profiles the 47 metropolitan areas in the US that have rail transit or BRT, using data, photos, and maps for easy comparison. The best and worst systems are ranked and Spieler offers analysis of how geography, politics, and history complicate transit planning. He shows how the unique circumstances of every city have resulted in very different transit systems. Using appealing visuals, Trains, Buses, People is intended for non-experts—it will help any citizen, professional, or policymaker with a vested interest evaluate a transit proposal and understand what makes transit effective. While the book is built on data, it has a strong point of view. Spieler takes an honest look at what makes good and bad transit and is not afraid to look at what went wrong. He explains broad concepts, but recognizes all of the technical, geographical, and political difficulties of building transit in the real world. In the end,Trains, Buses, People shows that it is possible with the right tools to build good transit.

The Right to Transportation
The Right to Transportation

Author: Thomas W. Sanchez

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781932364293

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Does transportation affect the lives of minority, low-income, elderly, and physically disabled citizens? The answer is yes, and those effects can be profound, according to The Right to Transportation. The authors argue that transportation policies can limit access to education, jobs, and services for some individuals while undermining the economy and social cohesion of entire communities. Policies that have nurtured the U.S. highway system and let public transportation wither have also led to ghettos and social isolation. More and more communities are recognizing the problem. This book explains the strategies and policies that can address inequities in the nation's transportation and transportation planning systems so that the benefits and burdens of those systems can be shared equally across all communities. With a close examination of how transportation policies affect individuals and communities, the book is a guide to transportation fairness. It explains the demographic trends, historical events, and current policies that have shaped transportation in the U.S. and offers recommendations for moving to equity.

Urban Access for the 21st Century
Urban Access for the 21st Century

Author: Elliott Sclar

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-03-05

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 1317933893

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This book sets out a road map for the provision of urban access for all. For most of the last century cities have followed a path of dependency on car dominated urban transport favouring the middle classes. Urban Access for the 21st Century seeks to change this. Policies need to be more inclusive of the accessibility needs of the urban poor. Change requires redesigning the existing public finance systems that support urban mobility. The aim is to diminish their embedded biases towards automobile-based travel. Through a series of chapters from international contributors, the book brings together expertise from different fields. It shows how small changes can incentivize large positive developments in urban transport and create truly accessible cities.

Running on Empty
Running on Empty

Author: Karen Lucas

Publisher: Policy Press

Published: 2004-10-13

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1861345690

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The lack of access to transportation among low-income groups is increasingly being recognised as a barrier to employment and social inclusion both in Britain and the United States. This work looks at the delivery of transport from a social policy perspective to assist in a better understanding of this issue.

Inequality in Transport
Inequality in Transport

Author: David Banister

Publisher:

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780906661017

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Everyone needs transport to move around and to access everyday needs, but for each individual those needs are different, and they change over time and space: herein lie the seeds of inequalities in transport. In Inequality in Transport, David Banister addresses this complex problem, first through an exploration of inequality, its nature, measurement and extent. He then links inequality and the transport sector through detailed analysis of the variations in daily and long-distance travel in Great Britain over a ten-year period. He argues that there must be a much wider interpretation of inequality--one that links actual travel with measures of wellbeing and sustainability, recognizing that these will change over time. In drawing his findings together, he concludes that there must be new thinking in transport policy and planning if transport inequalities are to be alleviated.