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Women’s Issues in Transportation: Summary of the 4th International Conference, Volume 1: Conference Overview and Plenary Papers (2011)

Chapter: PLENARY SESSION 2: Changing Demographics, Women s Travel Patterns, and Transportation Policy

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Suggested Citation:"PLENARY SESSION 2: Changing Demographics, Women s Travel Patterns, and Transportation Policy." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Women’s Issues in Transportation: Summary of the 4th International Conference, Volume 1: Conference Overview and Plenary Papers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22901.
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Page 7
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Suggested Citation:"PLENARY SESSION 2: Changing Demographics, Women s Travel Patterns, and Transportation Policy." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Women’s Issues in Transportation: Summary of the 4th International Conference, Volume 1: Conference Overview and Plenary Papers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22901.
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7 PleNARY SeSSION 2 Changing Demographics, Women’s Travel Patterns, and Transportation Policy elaine Murakami, Federal Highway Administration, Presiding Sandra Rosenbloom, University of Arizona Maryvonne Plessis-Fraissard, World Bank Genevieve Giuliano, University of Southern California lisa A. Schweitzer, University of Southern California The session on changing demographics, women’s travel patterns, and transportation policy, mod-erated by elaine Murakami, included discussions on demographic trends affecting the travel patterns of women and men in developed and developing countries and the implications of transportation policy shifts on women’s access to transportation. The session raised several research questions regarding the implications for women’s travel behaviors of transportation strategies such as value pricing and reduced vehicle miles traveled. women’s Travel in developed and developing CounTries: Two versions of The same sTory? Sandra Rosenbloom and Maryvonne Plessis-Fraissard This paper analyzed societal trends that affect men’s and women’s travel patterns, described research approaches and methods in developed and developing countries, reviewed travel patterns of women in developed and devel- oping countries, and identified research gaps in women’s transportation issues. The discussion reflected several common themes and diverse situations related to women’s transportation issues. Travel patterns reflect the process of economic development, and access to transport resources is dependent on one’s economic and social standing. Cul- tures and customs also structure women’s travel patterns. Women have less access to better transport modes and new technology, their travel patterns are complicated and different from men’s because their household and child- care roles differ, and they face personal safety and security issues. In richer countries, their distance traveled comes closer to that of men, yet they continuously renegotiate travel decisions in view of little-changed household man- agement roles and mothering norms. The research approach to women’s travel issues in developing countries is characterized by a growing rejec- tion of “eurocentric” quantitative research and planning models that fail to represent how poor households make decisions and ignore constraints under which women operate. Women’s travel patterns in the Global South are characterized by accelerating changes in mobility and patterns and gender gaps that decrease as income increases. Women in developed countries have substan- tial auto mobility, but gender gaps in licensing and vehi- cle use remain. Concerns about personal security affect women’s travel decisions more than men’s in all coun- tries. Women’s travel issues are recognized to greater or lesser extent around the world, but they have limited policy traction. Researchers understand the gendered nature of travel, but gender-specific policies, programs, and mandates have been ineffective. her money or her Time? a gendered view of ConTemporary TransporTaTion poliCy Genevieve Giuliano and Lisa Schweitzer This paper reports on key findings of recent research on trends for women’s transportation policy and planning in

8 WOMeN’S ISSueS IN TRANSPORTATION, vOluMe 1 the united States. Although a wide range of factors influ- ences outcomes for women in cities, the study focuses on two key areas of major contemporary change in transpor- tation policy: public transit and transportation finance. Both of these forces of change have responded to policy goals including energy, health, the environment, and cli- mate change. In doing so, policy and planning have con- verged on one major goal: reducing vehicle miles traveled (vMT). However socially laudable in other dimensions vMT reduction may be, policy and planning based on this goal have gone forward largely without addressing or allowing for the related equity consequences derived from social norms and institutions that contribute to gender inequality, including wage discrimination, gen- der labor market segregation, and household roles and labor divisions. Climate change, sustainability, obesity, livability, envi- ronmental justice, and energy are emerging policy issues in transportation that have received enormous traction in transportation planning. vMT reduction has been identi- fied as a solution for each of these issues. Most new trans- portation fees and taxes, such as parking charges and congestion tolls, are designed to ration and reduce auto usage in some manner. Many policies designed to reduce vMT do not explicitly consider differences in the value of travel time and the value of reliability across gender and care-giving status. The presentation looked at the “nudg- ing” toward public transit and the gap between invest- ment and quality as a case study. The study concludes that value of travel time and reliability differ across genders, modes, and trip purposes. A higher value of travel time is often a result of child-related travel pressures. TopiCs for furTher researCh 1. explore methods to translate gender research find- ings into policy. 2. Develop effective methods to train, monitor, and assess compliance with gender mandates. 3. explore how and why travel patterns differ by hours of employment and work schedules in combina- tion with gender and other sociodemographic variables. 4. Improve data quality by including gender, race, and ethnicity so analysis by gender can be done on policy impacts. 5. examine how transport policies and expenditures address impacts on women. 6. Research motivations for women and men’s trans- portation choices to better understand how people respond to “nudges.” 7. explore how gender differences in the value of time and the value of reliability affect travel purposes, loca- tion choices, and travel modes. 8. explore the effects of vMT reduction on women and other groups.

Next: BREAKOUT SESSION: Women s Travel Patterns and Behavior »
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TRB’s Conference Proceedings 46: Women’s Issues in Transportation: Summary of the 4th International Conference, Volume 1: Conference Overview and Plenary Papers includes an overview of the October 2009 conference and six commissioned resource papers, including the two keynote presentations.

Women’s Issues in Transportation: Summary of the 4th International Conference, Volume 2: Technical Papers includes 27 full peer-reviewed papers that were presented at the October 2009 conference. The conference highlighted the latest research on changing demographics that affect transportation planning, programming, and policy making, as well as the latest research on crash and injury prevention for different segments of the female population. Special attention was given to pregnant and elderly transportation users, efforts to better address and increase women’s personal security when using various modes of transportation, and the impacts of extreme events such as hurricanes and earthquakes on women’s mobility and that of those for whom they are responsible.

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