Recent Research on Transit Equity: From Idea, to Theory, to Practice

Description

This webinar is led by ITE Transit Committee.

To learn how to register and see more information about the webinar including PDH/CM credit certificate fees, please view the webinar course page here.

Webinar Description:
The webinar is intended to introduce the audience to transit equity. It will begin with an overview of transportation equity with specific focus on how it is relevant to transit. The introduction will synthesize information from range of sources to present a clear idea of transit equity. Upon establishing the ideas and vocabulary needed to approach the issue as transportation engineering and planning professionals, two student-led case studies will be briefly presented. Both case studies explore transit equity issues considering impacts of COVID-19 impacts on transit operations.

The first examines national transit data to understand racial and ethnic disparities in transit supply during the pandemic. The second case study illustrates how the pandemic impacted paratransit operations in Birmingham, Alabama with emphasis on older persons and persons with disabilities. Following the case studies, a summary will be provided with a focus on how the knowledge generated by the case studies and other research can be translated into practice to improve transit equity in different context(s). The webinar will close with an interactive panel wherein participants can interact with the presenters and moderator to explore and discuss the presented material.

Learning Objectives:

Understand transportation equity, especially as it relates to transit
Identify data sources for conducting transit equity analyses
Recognize how academic research can enhance transit equity

Policies: Registration closes 30 minutes prior to start.
The webinar recording will be made available on-demand it will have a shelf life of 60 days to register before it is archived. Participants are able to purchase and retrieve their PDH credit certificate until their access to the content expires. After the content expires and goes into archive, the PDH credit certificate opportunity is forfeited.

Contributors

Moderator: Candace Brakewood, Associate Professor | University of Tennessee, Knoxville | Knoxville, TN, USA

Dr. Candace Brakewood is an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) in the transportation group. At UTK, she teaches a graduate-level course in Public Transit Planning and Operations and an introductory undergraduate Transportation Engineering class. Her research group focuses on public transit planning, policy and technology. In her free time, Dr. Brakewood serves as a Commissioner on the Knoxville Transportation Authority, which is the board responsible for overseeing bus and paratransit service in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Steven Jones, Director, Transportation Policy Research Center | Alabama Transportation Institute | Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

Steven Jones is the former James R. Cudworth Professor of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering at The University of Alabama (UA) where he now serves as Interim Executive Director of the Alabama Transportation Institute oversees its Transportation Policy Research Center. In addition to his roles at UA, Jones is the Technology Transfer (T2) Director for the Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities (CR2C2), a USDOT-funded Region IV University Transportation Center. He also leads the Alabama team under USDOT New Mobility Center of Excellence. He is a charter member of the American Society of Civil Engineers Transportation and Development Institute and former chair of its Public Transportation committee. He is an active member of the Transportation Research Board and currently serves on its Committee on Rural, Intercity Bus, and Specialized Transportation. Additionally, he serves on the Institute of Transportation Engineers Standing Committee on Transit.
Shuocheng Guo, PhD Student | University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

Shuocheng Guo is a 4th-year Ph.D. candidate in Transportation System Engineering at The University of Alabama. He has contributed to multiple USDOT projects focusing on public transit operation and planning. Shuocheng has authored over 10 publications in top-tier journals such as Transportation Research Part A/C/D, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, and Energy Policy. His research interests include operations research, urban computing, and electrified transportation systems.
Hossein Gazmeh, PhD Student | University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

Hossein Gazmeh is a PhD student in Civil Engineering at the University of Alabama, where he specializes in Transportation Engineering. His research focuses on how transportation infrastructure, user behaviors, and urban layouts interact and how these interactions collectively shape communities. Hossein holds a BSc degree in Industrial Engineering and has presented his findings on transit service and charging infrastructure equity at international conferences such as the Transportation Research Board annual meeting. He is an active member of the ITE and serves as the secretary for the UA ITE chapter.

Description

Contributors

Moderator: Candace Brakewood, Associate Professor | University of Tennessee, Knoxville | Knoxville, TN, USA

Steven Jones, Director, Transportation Policy Research Center | Alabama Transportation Institute | Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

Shuocheng Guo, PhD Student | University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

Hossein Gazmeh, PhD Student | University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL, USA