L.A. Metro Report Examines How Women Travel

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has released a new in-depth report titled "Understanding How Women Travel," which will serve as the foundation for a Gender Action Plan, reports Joe Linton. "Metro gathered data from existing studies and data (including the National Household Travel Survey and Metro surveys), field observations, participatory workshops, focus groups, and pop-up events."

The report looks at women’s travel behavior trends, safety and access concerns, and convenience and comfort. Reliability, such as late buses or inaccurate travel information, was also a common issue for female travelers. "The report outlines the consequences of reliability issues, which exacerbate safety concerns and can result in daycare fines, missed appointments, and limiting access to employment opportunities," notes Linton. 

Also included in the report are a number of possible solutions to the various issues identified through the data analysis. Some of the recommendations are related to service and design and others focus on policy and long-term planning strategies.