Women are three times more likely than men to worry about their safety on public transit. They also rely more on public transportation, where sexual harassment and more serious gender-based violence can be commonplace for many.

That reality can lead women to choose more expensive travel options – driving or ride-hailing – creating what Sarah Kaufman, associate director at the New York University Rudin Center for Transportation, called a "pink tax" in a recent study she helped prepare.

"That then translates to reduced ridership on the train, which can be a recipe for more crime because there are fewer witnesses or potential people to intervene," said Kaufman.

But crime isn't the only factor imposing extra financial burdens on women. Nationally, 61% of women are caregivers and are more likely to be traveling with children in strollers or people in wheelchairs. Kaufman points out that fare gates and turnstiles often aren't wide enough to accommodate these mobility devices. Train stations frequently lack working elevators. Bike shares and ride-hail vehicles are absent child seats.

The Rudin Center study involved a series of three workshops with a diverse group of 65 participants, Kaufman said. The outcome was a selection of workable ideas developed by the participants and facilitators, who worked together to form actionable recommendations. Better incident reporting was top of the list.

Other recommendations included:

  • Brighter station lighting, platform markings indicating conductor cars, multilingual resources and multiple means of communication to accommodate those with visual or hearing impairments.
  • Family fares that allow a single payment for adults with children, making public transit more affordable; and better accommodating families with elevators and wider entry gates.
  • Trip-planning apps that take personal safety into account, such as routing walks along well-lit streets.
  • Enabling communities to create ways to help riders find safe spaces or connect with volunteers at their local transit stops.
  • Shared bike and scooter mobility designed for women, with child seats, places for bags and packages, and tandem bikes or bike-shares designed for children.
  • Transportation data that breaks out differences by gender in order to inform future planning processes.

Read the full article about safer city transportation for women by Dan Zukowski at Smart Cities Dive.