“You want protected bike lanes, I want protected Black children. Let’s link”: equity, justice, and the barriers to active transportation in North America

Abstract

Since the early 2000s, academic research on equity and justice has become an increasingly integral component of transportation planning and policy-making. Less research, however, has focused specifically on the intersection of equity, justice, and active transportation (i.e. cycling and walking). This Viewpoint builds on some of the key concerns and barriers associated with active transportation for disadvantaged groups, especially but not exclusively in relation to planning culture and processes, policing, harassment and racism, and gentrification and displacement. We investigate how issues of equity and justice can worsen the conditions that often prevent or diminish one's capability or desire to engage in active transportation. By providing a better understanding of the deep intersectionalities of equity, justice, and the physical and social barriers to active transportation, our hope is that this Viewpoint helps to improve how such barriers can be recognised and overcome, and the opportunities for change can be understood, centred, and implemented at the policy and planning level.

Performative versus Authentic Equity Work: An Assessment of Current Practices in Transportation Planning

“…In the case of this study, the authors worked from the assumption that traditional transportation practices emerged from practices of discrimination and racism, even if this was not the intention of the field, and that continuing to operate from the ''status quo'' perpetuates these racial biases. This presumption is based on studies of the history of transportation and current day transportation practices (63,(91)(92)(93)(94)(95)(96)(97)(98)(99)(100). Both authors are also women of color who have been working in the transportation space for over a decade, collaborating primarily with BPOC professionals and with BPOC-dominant communities.…”

Equitable active transport for female cyclists

“…The study is contextualised in Nigeria with its inherent challenges around infrastructure, growing population and policy limitations. Beyond the insights from developed countries with more developed transport infrastructures, especially in North America (Lee et al, 2017;Bernatchez et al, 2015;Agyeman & Doran, 2021) and Oceania (Russell et al, 2021;Bassett et al, 2020), this study presents insights into the lived experience of female cyclists in developing countries, recognising their inherent challenges and limited access to equitable transportation through cycling.…”

A framework for modern time geography: emphasizing diverse constraints on accessibility

“…As a result, different people and populations may experience the same environments in totally different ways. There are many examples of literature that describe variability in access to a wide range of conditions and services including: transit (Lubitow et al 2017), active transportation (Lee et al 2017;Agyeman and Doran 2021). The interplay of individual-specific factors and other factors can generate different experiences, responses, and preferences for different people in their movement decisions and travel demands (Kar et al 2022).…”