In 2019, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) released its landmark study, “Understanding How Women Travel.” A key discovery of Metro’s study found that the majority of bus and rail riders in Los Angeles County are women. As a follow-up to this study, Metro initiated its Gender Action Plan (GAP) to better position Metro to meet the needs of its largest segment of riders.
STV served as the prime consultant, alongside its partners at TransLink Consulting, Fehr & Peers, Ohana Vets, and gender and transportation experts from the University of California, Los Angeles and Mount Allison University for this first-of-a-kind study.
The GAP recommended various changes to Metro’s transit system and policies to better meet the needs of women and marginalized gendered communities.
Key initiatives included:
- Station and stop design strategies
- Fare policy strategies
- Safety strategies
Over the course of 18 months, the team initiated a multi-pronged approach to identify these actions. The team interviewed Metro staff, and formed an advisory committee comprised of several authority representatives. STV also led focus groups with community-based organizations and solicited feedback from people of all genders to share what their experiences were and what would make the transit system better.
