Welcome and Opening Session: The Trajectory of Research on Women’s Issues in Transportation from the 1970s to 2024—Do the Past, Present, and Future Converge?

Presenters

Jennifer Dill, Transportation Research and Education Center, Portland State University, Moderator

Sandra (Sandi) Rosenbloom, University of Texas at Austin

Ideas Moving Forward

• Integrate equity into research and policy: Build on historical and contemporary research to address gaps in gender equity. Focus on developing actionable policies and research that enhance mobility and safety for diverse groups, including those from low-income backgrounds, immigrants, and women in different life stages. For instance, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was highlighted for efforts to redesign cockpits for inclusivity.
• Launch and scale pilot programs: Encourage pilot projects to test innovative equity solutions, such as inclusive vehicle designs and equitable transit payment systems. Use these real-world experiments to gather data and refine strategies for broader application. For example, the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA’s) Mobility on Demand Sandbox Program supports communities in accessing and leveraging a range of mobility options.
• Foster collaboration across sectors: Create platforms for interdisciplinary collaboration, ensuring a holistic approach to transportation challenges. Share best practices and leverage diverse expertise to drive equity-focused innovation in transportation.

Summary

The opening session was led by Jennifer Dill, chair of the planning committee and a professor at Portland State University. She began by reflecting on the conference’s history, dating back to 1978, and how the current planning committee was formed. Dill shared her long-standing connection to the event, recounting how her participation in the third conference significantly influenced her academic career. She also highlighted key sections of the program, showcasing the diverse opportunities available for participants. Dill outlined the conference’s next steps and encouraged participants to actively contribute their ideas for future research. She emphasized leveraging the

knowledge, connections, and insights gained during the conference to drive continued progress in gender equity in transportation and take actionable ideas back to their organizations and communities, contributing to future initiatives beyond the conference.

Following her remarks, Dill invited Sandi Rosenbloom to discuss the trajectory of research on women’s issues in transportation from the 1970s to 2024. Rosenbloom, a leading expert in travel behavior and mobility equity, traced the field’s evolution, emphasizing key themes such as safety, public transit use, and labor market challenges faced by women.

Rosenbloom highlighted that safety research, including crash outcomes and vehicle design, has consistently dominated the discourse, revealing significant gender disparities. However, she noted a critical gap: much of this research has yet to translate into impactful policy changes. To address this, she advocated for a stronger focus on pilot projects and demonstration programs to bridge the gap between research and real-world application.

Rosenbloom pointed to the potential of small-scale initiatives to address pressing issues such as cycling safety, transit accessibility, and mobility for marginalized women. Despite numerous local innovations, Rosenbloom expressed concern about their limited documentation and dissemination, underscoring the need for better integration of insights drawn from these innovations to inform broader policy and practice. By amplifying these efforts, the transportation field could more effectively tackle systemic barriers and promote equity.

In her closing remarks, Rosenbloom challenged the audience to prioritize actionable research and implementation. She urged attendees to move beyond repetitive studies and focus on creating measurable changes in their communities.

Highlighting the need for bold, innovative approaches, Rosenbloom envisioned a future where transportation systems are safer, more inclusive, and responsive to the diverse needs of all users. Through commitment to applying research findings, Rosenbloom called for a collective effort to drive meaningful progress in the transportation sector.