About Your Neighborhood 3. Over the past two years, changes to my neighborhood as a place for. . .
a b s t r a c tPsychological and social identity-related factors have been shown to influence drivers' behaviors toward pedestrians, but no previous studies have examined the potential for drivers' racial bias to impact yielding behavior with pedestrians. If drivers' yielding behavior results in differential behavior toward Black and White pedestrians, this may lead to disparate pedestrian crossing experiences based on race and potentially contribute to disproportionate safety outcomes for minorities. We tested the hypothesis that drivers' yielding behavior is influenced by pedestrians' race in a controlled field experiment at an unsignalized midblock marked crosswalk in downtown Portland, Oregon. Six trained male research team participants (3 White, 3 Black) simulated an individual pedestrian crossing, while trained observers cataloged the number of cars that passed and the time until a driver yielded. Results (88 pedestrian trials, 173 driver-subjects) revealed that Black pedestrians were passed by twice as many cars and experienced wait times that were 32% longer than White pedestrians. Results support the hypothesis that minority pedestrians experience discriminatory treatment by drivers at crosswalks.
Abstract:Racial minorities are disproportionately represented in pedestrian traffic fatalities, indicating a significant public health and safety issue. Psychological and social identity-related factors have previously been shown to influence drivers' behaviors toward pedestrians. If drivers' behavior reflects racial bias and results in differential behavior toward Black and White pedestrians, this may lead to disparate pedestrian crossing experiences based on race and potentially contribute to disproportionate safety outcomes. We tested this hypothesis in a controlled field experiment at an unsignalized midblock marked crosswalk in downtown Portland, Oregon. Six trained male research team confederates (3 White, 3 Black) simulated an individual pedestrian crossing, while trained observers cataloged the number of cars that passed and the time until a driver yielded.Results (90 pedestrian trials, 168 driver-subjects) revealed that Black pedestrians were passed by twice as many cars and experienced wait times that were 32% longer than White pedestrians.Results support the hypothesis that minority pedestrians experience discriminatory treatment by drivers.3
There are numerous studies examining the interactions between travel behavior and neighborhood design. However, little thought is given specifically to gender differences. While sex is considered in most multivariate statistical analyses as a possible independent variable, there are few studies that focus primarily on "gendered" travel behavior, as influenced by neighborhood design. There are even fewer studies that examine the differences in travel behavior among women by neighborhood type. Naturally, women are not a homogenous group, and are characterized by a variety of preferences, needs, perceptions, and behaviors.This study is based on a survey that collected considerable data on land use as well as travel behavior, including a wealth of information on both preferences for and perceptions of neighborhood characteristics. The main questions this study addresses are: Are there gender differences in travel behavior? If so, what are the causes and the effects? Are there differences among women by neighborhood type, life cycle stage, presence of children, etc? The findings point to some significant differences for and among women, particularly with respect to both the social and infrastructure aspects of safety, but also by neighborhood type (suburban versus traditional) and the presence of children.TRB 2006 Annual Meeting CD-ROM Paper revised from original submittal.
In Oregon, as in other areas of the United States, a greater percentage of men than women bicycle. This study illuminates the gender gap in bicycling by exploring differences in bicycling between women and men in Oregon. A one-day statewide travel survey of more than 30,000 adults was examined. Comparisons between individual, household, and trip and activity characteristics for people grouped by gender (women versus men) and bicycling (made a bicycle trip or normally commuted by bicycle versus did not bicycle) were assessed using chi-square tests of independence. Many significant differences were found. In particular, women who lived alone, were not working, had no high school degree or driver’s license, and lived in low-income households or zero-vehicle households were less likely to bicycle than other women. Men with similar characteristics did not exhibit the same trends; sometimes they were even more likely to bicycle. These findings are consistent with a perspective that women who bicycle are more likely to bicycle by choice, whereas women of fewer means are less likely to turn to bicycling than are their male counterparts. In addition, there was partial support for the idea that women’s roles and responsibilities may contribute to this deficit (that is, for household maintenance and escorting but not necessarily for the presence of children). The study’s results begin to suggest a rethinking of bicycle-promoting policies and interventions to target certain women better, although further research is needed to understand bicycling’s gender gap more fully.
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