Do Americans Want Women-Only Subway Cars?

YouGov, an international online research group, recently conducted a survey that asked 31,000 Americans if transit agencies in the United States should designate the first car of each subway train for women only like Japan, India, and Brazil do. According to their results, “43% of Americans somewhat or strongly support the trains and subway systems nearest to them reserving a car for women only. In comparison, only 30% of Americans oppose the adoption of this policy, and 27% are not sure.”

The picture becomes more interesting the farther you delve into the data. The following are some highlights (the original article has some excellent charts illustrating the results that are worth checking out):

• Women were more likely than men to support it (48 vs. 38 percent) and less likely to oppose it (22 vs. 37 percent).
• Ridership frequency impacts level of support: of those who support women-only cars: 60 percent of those who ride daily were in favor, as were 55 percent of weekly riders, 52 percent of monthly riders, 44 percent of those who ride a few times a year, and 37 percent of people who never ride transit.
• Opposition to women-only cars is strongest among Americans who say they never ride transit.
• Younger riders are more in favor of the policy, 56 percent of adults under 30 versus 32 percent of adults 65 and older.
• People who have had negative experiences on public transit (35 percent) are more likely to support women-only cars.

YouGov article authors Macel Moran and Taylor Orth conclude, “These results indicate significant interest from Americans in their local transit systems experimenting with women-only cars on trains and subways. Particularly in the context of decreased transit ridership nationwide in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, such a policy could potentially encourage transit use among women with previous negative experiences on public transportation.”