LA Metro Says Its System Is Riskier And Harder For Women

Article here. Excerpt:

'In theory, Los Angeles County's public transit system serves everyone. But in reality, not everyone is served equally — especially women.

In a recent report, Metro officials said that women are subjected to "outsized burdens and risks" when navigating L.A.'s transportation systems, and their needs "have not been critically accounted for."

The agency issued the 167-page report, "Understanding How Women Travel," in late August. It revolves around five "themes" related to how and why women use public transit and other modes of travel through L.A. County. The agency looked at travel behavior, safety, access, reliability, and convenience and comfort.

Metro surveyed 2,600 county residents, oversampling women and transit riders. The agency also logged more than 100 hours observing how women use its system, ran a series of focus groups, workshops and "pop-up engagements," plus analyzed data from nine existing regional and federal sources to compile for this report.

Based on the findings, the report authors recommend Metro create a Gender Action Plan, with the goal of making "actionable changes... specifically intended to improve travel experiences for women." That could include safety and staffing improvements, adjusting fare policies to "minimize the daily financial burden on lower-income women," rethinking bus stop, station and vehicle design, and amending service times to account for the midday trips more women take on Metro.'