published journal article

What factors influence the adoption and use of dockless electric bike-share? A case study from the Sacramento region

Abstract

Now that dockless electric bike-share systems have become a fixture in major cities in the U.S., it is important to understand why someone chooses to use the service. Beyond socio-demographics, factors such as mode-related attitudes, the social environment, and the availability of the service may influence both its adoption and frequency of use. This study modeled dockless electric bike-share adoption and use frequency using data collected from a household survey and a bike-share user survey from the Sacramento region. The study used integrated choice and latent variable models to understand the influence of attitudes on electric bike-share adoption and use frequency. Three latent variables − bike affinity, car necessity, and bike social environment − were developed using responses to eleven statements. The models show that apart from socio-demographics, attitudes related to bike affinity and bike social environments significantly and positively influence bike-share adoption with a large effect size, whereas the car necessity attitude significantly and negatively influences the use frequency with a large effect size. Individuals with low incomes are less likely to adopt the bike-share service. The availability of electric bike-share in key locations (home and/or work and/or school) where an individual frequently goes significantly and positively influences adoption with a large effect size but does not influence use frequency. Findings from this study can inform the dockless electric bike-share policies of cities as well as the rebalancing strategies of service providers.

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Dividing Lines: How Route 99 Reshaped Fresno's Immigrant Communities and Communities of Color

policy brief

Evaluating Equity in Transportation and Hazard Preparedness Plans: A Multi-Level Governance Approach

Abstract

Environmental justice (EJ) principles are essential for addressing inequities in transportation and hazard preparedness; however, they are often applied in a fragmented manner. Historically, urban planning in the United States has created racial and economic divisions, particularly through policies like redlining and freeway construction that displaced communities of color. These practices have systematically and disproportionately exposed marginalized groups to environmental harms. The EJ movement has advocated for addressing these disparities through equity-focused policies. However, the integration of EJ principles into plans remains incomplete, with prior studies focusing on individual plans or jurisdictions, failing to consider broader governance systems and the need for equity to bridge multiple plan types. These challenges are compounded by the shift from centralized to decentralized governance, creating a fragmented landscape where different levels of government and departments operate with distinct priorities. Multi-level governance (MLG) creates both opportunities and challenges for equity-centered planning. While it enables state funding, regional planning, and local implementation to align, fragmented jurisdictions often leave transportation, hazard, and climate plans in silos. Intentional coordination is needed to embed EJ principles across all levels of planning. This analysis focuses on Los Angeles due to its overlapping jurisdictions, large transit system, and history of environmental injustice making it a critical test case for how MLG can both enable and constrain equity-centered planning. This policy brief is based on our evaluation of 16 climate action, racial equity, transportation, and hazard preparedness plans in Greater Los Angeles, which was systematically scored based on three existing EJ pillars: Recognition Justice, Procedural Justice, and Distributive Justice

policy brief

Capacity Building is Key for Accelerating Open-loop Payments Adoption Among Transit Agencies

Abstract

Open-loop payments systems allow riders to pay fares using general-purpose payment methods like credit cards, debit cards, or mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay), rather than being limited to a single transit agency’s own payment system. Broad adoption of open-loop payments offers major benefits for public transit, including lower costs, greater convenience for riders, and improved operational efficiency. The California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP) has helped pave the way for transit agencies interested in this technology by providing resources, guidance, and hands-on support. Cal-ITP works directly with transit agencies to address known challenges and identify solutions to emerging barriers. Understanding how agencies decide whether to adopt open-loop and other technologies is key to ensuring the effectiveness of programs like Cal-ITP. To explore this, the research team surveyed transit agencies in California to identify the factors that influence adoption of open-loop payments.

policy brief

Truck Parking and Idling is Having an Impact on Disadvantaged Communities in California

Abstract

Under California Assembly Bill 617 (Garcia, 2017), local and state agencies are working to reduce air pollution exposure in low income communities. These communities—often referred to as AB 617 communities—are disproportionately impacted by air pollution due to their proximity to transportation corridors, industrial installations, and logistics centers. A research team at the University of California, Davis investigated the impact of truck parking related activities on air quality in California’s AB 617 communities in Kern County, including truck idling, time spent searching for parking, and parking locations in communities. Searching for parking involves trucks driving extra miles to find available parking spaces, which leads to additional fuel consumption and increased emissions of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10). Once parked, prolonged or illegal parking can exacerbate congestion, noise, and localized pollution. These combined activities heighten exposure to harmful emissions in EJ communities, potentially leading to health issues (e.g., asthma and cardiovascular diseases). A comprehensive policy framework addressing truck parking facilities, management, and air pollution control is crucial for improving air quality and living conditions in AB 617 communities. There are a number of initiatives that could contribute to improving the conditions on these communities.

preprint journal article

Determinants of Mode Choice and Forgoing Travel for Mobility-of-Care Trips by Caregivers in California

Abstract

Caregivers, especially those living in rural areas, often face unique challenges due to the responsibility of managing the mobility needs of the people in their care. While most transportation research focuses on individual travelers, mobility-of-care trips remain underexplored, despite their importance to public health. This study aims to assess the determinants of mode choice and trip-making behaviors among caregivers in California, focusing on mobility-of-care trips both for healthcare and social recreation. Collaborating with the nonprofit organization Ohana Center, this Community Based Participatory Research applies a mixed methods approach. First, using stated preference survey data from 349 caregivers (4188 observations) in California, collected in May 2025, we estimate an integrated choice and latent variable (ICLV) model to examine determinants of mode choice and trip-skipping behavior. Then, we conduct a series of three workshops with community leaders with caregiving expertise in semirural Antelope Valley to gain deeper insights into place-based transportation barriers and potential solutions. Our findings reveal that travel cost, travel time, and wait time significantly affect decision-making across all modes, while walk time, cleanliness, and ADA accessibility exhibit significant mode-specific effects. Caregivers who are women or nonbinary or belong to households that earn less than $15k in gross annual income are more likely to forgo mobility-of-care trips. Social recreation trips are more likely to be skipped than healthcare trips. Caregivers under the age of 35 and those who do not have a disability exhibit relatively higher wellbeing (measured as a 5-item latent variable), and those with higher wellbeing are less likely to forgo mobility-of-care trips. Based on these findings, this study offers recommendations for community-based transportation solutions tailored to the specific needs of caregivers and their recipients.

policy brief

New Innovative Last-Mile Delivery Strategies Have Environmental and Equity Benefits, But There Can be Trade-Offs

Abstract

The advent of e-commerce has changed consumer behavior and brought about a growing last-mile delivery system. These deliveries provide consumers with access to goods and services that would otherwise require personal trips to brick-and-mortar locations or not be available. To improve the efficiency of last-mile delivery and mitigate potential effects on traffic, communities, and the environment, e-retailers are trying out a diverse set of distribution strategies. These include: (1) using light-duty vehicles such as electric vans and cargo bikes in conjunction with micro-hubs, consolidation centers, and staging areas to reduce heavy traffic and operational costs; (2) establishing collection points (e.g., parcel lockers) that allow customers to pick up their orders at convenient locations, without the need for additional delivery vehicle travel; (3) engaging independent drivers who can provide flexible and cost-effective delivery; (4) deploying autonomous delivery robots and unmanned aerial vehicles; and (5) replacing conventional fuel vehicle fleets with zero- or near-zero emissions vehicles. A team at the University of California, Davis explored the economic viability, environmental efficiency, and social equity impacts of these strategies with state of the art modeling techniques.

policy brief

Test Publication for Automations

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Freeway Revolts and Racially Exclusive Participatory Planning: A History of Organized Opposition to Freeway Construction in Pacoima

Publication Date

May 8, 2025

Author(s)

Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Susan Handy, Paul Ong, Jesus M. Barajas, Jacob Wasserman, Chhandara Pech, Juan Carlos Garcia Sanchez, Andres F Ramirez, Aakansha Jain, Emmanuel Proussaloglou, Andrea Nguyen, Katherine Turner, Abigail Fitzgibbon, Francois Kaeppelin, Felipe Ramirez, Marc Arenas

Abstract

Located in northeast Los Angeles, Pacoima is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley. Today, it is also one of the most polluted. Within the neighborhood’s 4.3 square miles, Pacoima contains three freeways, a railroad line, a small airport, and more than 300 industrial facilities. Before the construction of the freeways beginning in the 1960s, however, the neighborhood looked very different. Once known as America’s “first Black suburb,” Pacoima had a rich history of activism; however, archival records of the time offer little to no evidence of pushback from Black residents to the State Division of Highways (the precursor to Caltrans), as the Simi Freeway/State Route 118 bulldozed through their community in the 1960s. This storymap looks into neighboring opposition that led to the chosen route cutting through Pacoima’s vibrant and diverse community.

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From "Across the Tracks" to "Across the Freeway": A History of the Racialization and Exclusion behind the I-10 Freeway in Colton

Publication Date

May 30, 2025

Author(s)

Paul Ong, Chhandara Pech, Jacob Wasserman, Andres F Ramirez, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Leila Ullmann, Megan Riley

Abstract

Travel 62 miles east of Los Angeles and you will find an epicenter of global mobility. Colton, a small 16-square-mile city in San Bernardino County, has been a principal rail and logistics hub since its establishment in the late 19th century. More than 110 cargo trains pass through the city daily, and it sits amidst the many warehouses of the Inland Empire region that store imports before their distribution locally and nationwide. But for Colton’s communities of color, especially its Latino residents, these transportation systems have long been a double-edged sword — offering employment opportunities while also enforcing stark racial and spatial divides. Railroad tracks historically split the city in two: white, affluent North Colton and working-class, Latino South Colton. In the 1940s, when state officials began planning the San Bernardino Freeway/Interstate 10 route, the proposed alignment threatened to deepen these divisions and further marginalize South Colton. This storymap looks into the nearly decade of heated debate that ultimately led to a route that minimized direct displacement and racial impact — a rare outcome in freeway planning of the era, driven largely by cost considerations.