Gender inequity in Chapel Hill's Urban Transport Systems
My name is Sawyer Husain
I am a Public Policy and Geography major with a minor in Urban Planning from Indianapolis, IN.
I love the built environment. The way it lives, breathes, and informs the lives of those who live in it. I am committed to addressing the ways our planning policies excaerbates exisitng inequities.
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Chapel Hill transit has excellent service, with many lines active well into the night. However, when the sun sets, everything changes.
The Problem:
Current urban planning policies in Chapel Hill inadequately address the distinct safety and security needs of women in public transit environments, especially at night, contributing to gender inequity and limiting women's mobility and access to city resources.
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Why is this a problem?
The World Bank notes that safety concerns in urban transport disproportionately affect women, leading to restricted mobility that can impact access to employment, education, and social activities.
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A survey conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation in 2014 across 15 of the United State's largest capitals and New York, found that 52% of women in major cities feel unsafe using public transport at night.
Research from the International Transport Forum (2018) indicates that women often change their travel routes or times to avoid certain modes of transport or stops that they perceive as unsafe, with more than 50% of women in some cities reporting such changes.
Visual Data
West Longview Stop - Runs until 7pm
Town Hall Stop - Runs until 8:30pm
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= No Saftey
You can also split your content
These are my sisters, Avalon and Kenna
This picture was taken in Hyderbad, India, where my father is from. There, I watched them get harrassed constantly. 5 years later, and they take public transit to work everyday. The stories they tell me about public transit makes me fear for their saftey constanly. I could have shown a picture of almost any woman I know who uses public transit, and their story would paint a similar picture.
Public Transit is not safe for women, it is everyones job to fix that.
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What we can change: Adressing Policy and Structural Solutions
Policy:
Allocate additional funding for increased staffing at night.
Require training for Chapel Hill Transit staff on gender sensitivity and emergency response.
Structural:
Implement night lighting at all bus stops and along routes to enhance visibility and perceived safety.
Install call boxes at all 200+ bus stops within Chapel Hill and Carrboro (with a clear, visible sign indicating how to use them).
Install real-time tranport displays, which updates on bus arrivals and departures at major stops to minimize wait times, prioritizing stops with the highest usage during nighttime hours
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So what?
Addressing gender safety transcends just transit policy, it's a crucial step towards equitable community development in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Through the measures I descirbed, enhancing safety measures will not only affirm the right of all individuals to move freely and without fear but will foster greater economic participation and social inclusion. In the end, it's about crafting a city that is safe, accessible, and welcoming for everyone.
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