Midnight Train to Nowhere? How Fear of Violence Impacts Nighttime Travel in Urban Spaces

• In Event: 40821 - Community and Urban Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 17. Transportation Systems & Mobility

Abstract

Public transportation is essential for urban mobility, although safety concerns affect the transit usage especially at night and among women and marginalized communities. This study examines how the fear of violence riding Marta in the city of Atlanta influences comfort levels riding public transit at night. The study employs survey data from 219 respondents collected in four neighborhoods. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between perceptions of safety and comfortability in nighttime transit usage. The findings suggest that heightened fear of violence considerably reduces level of comfort in nighttime transit usage and may contribute to transit avoidance, especially among women and high-income individuals.

Authors

• Rafia Javaid Mallick, Georgia State University

• Deirdre Aine Oakley, Georgia State University

• Sarishty Makkar, Georgia State University