Women's Transportation Equity

A project of the Anti-Discrimination Center of Metro New York, Inc.

Project Director: Stephanie Ortoleva

Though not often considered in this light, transportation and gender issues have long been deeply intertwined, with transportation used both as means and expression of the denial of equity and freedom to women. This project advocates for transportation to be used instead as means and expression of increasing gender equity.

A close examination of the problem has been published in Running on Empty: Transport, Social Exclusion and Environmental Justice (London: Policy Press, 2004). The chapter, entitled "Women's Issues in Transportation," and written by Stephanie Ortoleva and Mark Brennan, looks at transportation in the US through the lens of a women's rights perspective, challenging transportation providers, funders and regulators to consider and assess impacts on women in the community in planning, research and regulation.

The chapter discusses policy approaches that create parallels to civil rights laws in the US, as well as social exclusion theory, community and social impact assessment procedures, avoidance and mitigation of damage, and valuing women's transportation.

It makes recommendations on where changes should be made to existing policy and practice.  It presents a case study of successful implementation in the field and describes what a new feminist paradigm for transportation might look like.

For excerpts, click here.

For ordering information, click here.

"This timely and informative book is unique in addressing issues of social exclusion and distributive justice in transportation from a comparative perspective. It contains introductory material useful in teaching and more advanced case studies useful in research and advocacy work. It should be read by anyone seriously interested in the subject."

- Martin Wachs, Director, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Berkeley

Stephanie Ortoleva is a civil rights and international human rights attorney, and is a member of the Board of the National Organization for Women and of the Anti-Discrimination Center of Metro New York.

Marc Brenman is Executive Director of State of Washington Human Rights Commission.

The Anti-Discrimination Center, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation works, collaboratively and across disciplines, to prevent and remedy discrimination and expand civil rights protections in housing, employment, education and public accommodations through advocacy, litigation, education, outreach, research, and monitoring. Visit the Center at antibiaslaw.com.