Date: June 29, 2023
Author(s): Elena Savignano
Abstract
As the United States aims to curb its transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, policymakers and planners are implementing strategies to disincentivize the overuse of private vehicles. However, reducing single occupancy vehicle (SOV) use is more than an urgent climate issue. Pollutants from vehicle emissions have been linked with adverse health afflictions that often disproportionately affect communities of color and low-income communities (August et al., 2022). Despite the urgency of these issues and the significant potential benefits of reducing SOV use, convincing drivers to give up their cars in favor of more sustainable modes of transportation is challenging. Additionally, the potential regressive effects that policies aimed at reducing SOV use may have on low-income, historically disenfranchised communities should be examined. This research aims to better understand whether one proposed method of reducing SOV use — pricing parking — disproportionately affects people of color and female and gender minority drivers.
About the Project
This capstone project was completed in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Urban & Regional Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.