Abstract:
This study tracks results from an employer-sponsored travel reduction program to explore whether there are gender-related differences in how men and women select and use public transit. Although women ride public transit more than men, it is not clear that this effect would be found in a study of middle-income women with full-time jobs. Their responsibilities and roles might lead these women to favor the flexibility and convenience of an automobile. The study follows 381 commuters, 144 men and 237 women, who chose to give up their drive-alone commuting for a 3-month period in Southern California. More than two-thirds of both the men and the women remained as transit riders when the time came to make a commitment to continue with transit. The analysis found few differences between men and women. However, the women who chose to participate in the transit experiment in the first place had distinct characteristics: they had fewer children at home, were from select age groups, and had smaller households. The study provides insight for future social marketing experiments in transportation and provides results for public transit providers who wish to attract busy commuters who have family and household responsibilities.
