Investigating the influence of age and gender on perceptions of public transit and public transit safety

Public transit offers low-cost, independent mobility for older adults, particularly among women, who are more likely to use transit than men. Transit experiences, however, are gendered. For instance, women have consistently cited safety issues as a barrier to transit use, in relation to fears of crime and sexual assault. However, we know little of older adults’ perceptions of transit safety, as research on this topic overwhelmingly focuses on younger women’s safety concerns.

This project will investigate older women’s perceptions and experiences of safety on the Hamilton-area transit through semi-structured and ride-along interviews. Through thematic analysis, we will identify the ways in which age and gender interact to form a unique experience of safety on public transit. This research will respond to a gap in the literature on gender and transit safety (i.e., older women’s experiences) and inform policy on how to make transit safer for all women, regardless of age.