How Universal Basic Mobility affects Social Equity

Inequality is embedded in our transportation systems and land use patterns, which reinforces unequal access to opportunities. Mobility inequality can be racialized, gendered, or based on income. The inequalities between those with and without private vehicles deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic [1], [2], [3]. Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) programs aim to address this and in turn create more equitable transportation systems. Based on qualitative evaluation of eight UBM programs and pilots, UC Davis researchers found that UBM pilot programs have had success in enrolling low-income people of color and increasing transit use [4].

Additional research related to equity impacts of mobility wallet pilot program outcomes is ongoing. For example, researchers at UCLA and UC Davis are evaluating the South LA mobility wallet pilot, where 1,000 people in South Los Angeles are receiving $150 per month for a year for use on transit needs [5]. Researchers at UC Davis are also evaluating pilot UBM programs in Oakland and Bakersfield, with a focus on economic, social, and environmental impacts [6]. However, there is little completed research on how effective university mobility programs are in addressing inequality in transportation access. Additional research is needed on the equity impacts of UBM programs, as well as how the programs compare to alternatives like free or reduced fare transit programs.

References

  1. E. Blumenberg, “En-gendering Effective Planning: Spatial Mismatch, Low Income Women, and Transportation Policy,” 2003, doi: 10.1080/01944360408976378.

  2. Mimí Sheller and M. Sheller, “Racialized Mobility Transitions in Philadelphia: Connecting Urban Sustainability and Transport Justice,” City Soc., vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 70–91, Apr. 2015, doi: 10.1111/ciso.12049.

  3. Isti Hidayati, I. Hidayati, Wendy Tan, W. Tan, Claudia Yamu, and C. Yamu, “Conceptualizing Mobility Inequality: Mobility and Accessibility for the Marginalized:,” J. Plan. Lit., vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 492–507, May 2021, doi: 10.1177/08854122211012898.

  4. C. Rodier, A. Tovar, S. Fuller, M. D’Agostino, and B. Harold, “A Survey of Universal Basic Mobility Programs and Pilots in the United States,” University of California Institute of Transportation Studies. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.7922/G2N8784Q

  5. “Los Angeles launches nation’s largest UBM pilot, Lewis Center leads evaluation.,” UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies., 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.lewis.ucla.edu/project/2023-mb-01/

  6. A. Sanguinetti, E. Alston-Stepnitz, and M. C. D’Agostino, “Evaluating Two Universal Basic Mobility Pilot Projects in California.” [Online]. Available: https://www.ucits.org/research-project/2022-20/

Related Literature Reviews

See Literature Reviews on Universal Basic Mobility

See Literature Reviews on Social Equity

Note: Mobility COE research partners conducted this literature review in Spring of 2024 based on research available at the time. Unless otherwise noted, this content has not been updated to reflect newer research.