Women, Transit, and Work: Social Sustainability During a Pandemic

Keywords: commuting, gender, transit, COVID-19
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 08:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 09:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 39

Abstract

Achieving sustainability in American cities requires reducing the social, economic, and environmental inequalities amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Essential workers – those who had to work on site despite the pandemic –experience these inequalities in every aspect of their daily lives. We examine how public transit affects geographical access to jobs for women employed as essential workers, especially for vulnerable minority women. Census microdata for the New York metropolitan region indicate that many women essential workers rely on public transit to get to work and that transit dependence is highest among Black and Latina women. Residential segregation based on race and income means many minority women live too far from their jobs to bike or walk, and their access to cars is limited, making it almost impossible for them to shift from transit to reduce their exposure to COVID-19. Long commute times, transit dependence, and low-wage employment intersect to increase minority women’s economic and social vulnerability. Our analysis shows that current service reductions associated with declining ridership and public health measures during the pandemic will disproportionately harm minority women’s access to jobs and heighten income disparities. We argue that the restoration and enhancement of the public transportation system is critical for achieving post-pandemic sustainability.