Erica C. Barnett reports on a new study on gendered disparities in public transit. And while the study didn’t apply to Puget Sound transit orgs, Barnett looks at their conclusions and at Sound Transit, finding them lacking in at least one area.
What are the implications? The Atlantic suggests that if transit agencies take women’s needs into account, they will provide easier boarding and wider aisles (for women with strollers or heavy bags) and more transit service in care-related sites, like parks, daycares, and schools. Additionally, transit agencies could include more women on their boards, the Atlantic suggests. Although Sound Transit, the regional transit agency for the Puget Sound, is led by a woman, Joni Earl, its 16-member board is dominated by men, with just four female members. (It’s all-white, too).
Also, the King County Council Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee that deals with public transportation is 2/3 men (the same makeup as the entire council) and that the chair and vice chair are both men.
Sorry, I’m 100% for gender equity, but can’t get excited about this at all. There’s a much bigger issue at stake, which is just keeping the buses on the road. Big picture people!
yeah, when you look at it that way, it is kind of like re arraigning the deck chairs while the captain has the ship pointed toward that large iceberg (or Tuscan coastal town)
What @1 said.
“Gendered disparities” — is that Sanskrit?
Whomever wrote this does not ride Metro Transit. No strollers allow on the bus. You have to fold them up and carry them. And the bags that men carry are just as big, if not bigger than that what the women carry.
Why assume stroller eaquals woman?
@ 1, 2, & 3,
It isn’t an either or proposition. Figuring out ways to make Metro work for the majority of its riders seems like a way to help save it.
@6,
Your point is taken and appreciated, but I think the majority of people who push strollers are still women.
While Sound Transit is an appointed board, the pool of potential members are the elected officials of the cities and counties that make up the district. I don’t know the exact numbers but I wouldn’t be shocked if that pool is at least 2/3 male.
If you want to correct the gender imbalance the first thing to do is elect more women to city and county office.