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The gap in men’s andwomen’s commutedistances decreases forsingle-adult householdswith children but remainslarge for married-couplehouseholds with childrenand both parentsworking.In 1985, the smallest difference in male andfemale commute distances by family status was forheads of single-adult households with children; thelargest gap was for married-couple households withchildren and both parents working. This trend isconsistent with the economics of gender and ofhouseholds.The data also indicate that the gender gapincreased for single-adult households with no childrenand for married-couple households with nochildren, but decreased in single-adult householdswith children and married-couple households withchildren. Working women in households with childrenare commuting farther than they had in thepast, especially in comparison with the distancestraveled by their spouses.Marriage is associated with shorter commutesfor women, but children are not an influencing factorstatistically. Perhaps the presence of childrenincreases the income needs of the household, whichmay result in women working farther away, evenwhile their home-centered responsibilities remain.Better data and more study would clarify these relationships.TR NEWS 264 SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2009but not as sharply. More research is needed to examinethese trends, especially the decline in the use oftransit by black women.Age and Family TypeYounger age groups have the smallest gender gap(Figure 2, below). The largest differences occuramong men and women in the age group of 35 to 54years old. Although the commute distance forwomen in that group declines, the decline was lessin 2005 than it was in 1985.0%–13%–25%–38%–50%16-251985 200526-3435-4445-5455-6465+FIGURE 2 Women’s commute distances as percent ofmen’s, by age (via private vehicles).Substantial DifferencesGender has an influence on commuting patterns,but how this influence is changing with women’schanging participation in the workforce is complicated.Although men continue to commute fartherand somewhat longer, women are catching up. Inparticular, the commutes of married women withchildren are lengthening at a rate three times fasterthan that for the commutes of their working husbands.The gender gap is smallest for youngerwomen, and this characteristic is carrying throughas the cohort ages. The gap is most pronouncedamong whites, though the once-wide gap in modeavailability and choice among white and minoritywomen is quickly narrowing.If women are traveling more like men, does thisargue for a decreased focus on gender in transportationplanning? No, because the differencesare still substantial, especially when viewed in thecontext of other demographic factors. Men andwomen travel differently, and the variation inbehaviors and circumstances linked to genderrequires more detailed exploration.The AHS data may be hinting that the continuedrise of dual-earner families of more comparableearning levels is leading to longer commute tripsand to less reliance on transit. More detailed resultson these issues will be reported soon.12
Focusing on Demographic Changes andthe Transportation SystemIn addition to organizing the 2008 conference on theImpact of Changing Demographics on the TransportationSystem, the Transportation Research Board(TRB) has undertaken many other activities to improveunderstanding and to anticipate the influence ofsociodemographic changes on the transportation system.These activities include other specialty conferences,sessions at the TRB Annual Meeting, committee efforts,and a National Cooperative Highway Research Program(NCHRP) project.TRB Activities Under WayKATHERINE F. TURNBULLu Other specialty conferences. The TRB Women’sIssues in Transportation Committee has sponsored fourinternational conferences. The 2009 InternationalConference on Women’s Issues in Transportationaddressed a range of topics on women’s travel needs andtravel patterns—from driving to “fampooling” to bicyclingto walking to riding the bus and even to racecardriving. Cosponsored by several federal, state, university,and international organizations, these conferences havebecome a focal point for the discussion of women’sissues in transportation in the United States and othernations and for the advancement of needed research.u Annual Meeting sessions. Sessions at TRB AnnualMeetings have elevated the importance of identifyingthe impacts of sociodemographic changes on the transportationsystem. A session at the 2009 Annual Meetinghighlighted presentations by key speakers at the Impactof Changing Demographics on the TransportationSystem Conference. The National Transportation DataRequirements and Programs Committee is sponsoring aworkshop at the 2010 Annual Meeting on the results ofthe 2008 National Household Travel Survey and a sessionon the links among walking and bicycling, socioeconomicsand demographics, and mobility and livability.u Committee activities. TRB Technical Activities committees,sections, and groups are pursuing a variety ofactivities to advance the understanding of the impact ofsociodemographic changes on travel behavior and thetransportation system. The topic is one of the crosscuttingissues taken up by the Policy and OrganizationGroup. Data Section committees have several effortsunder way to maximize use of the 2010 Census andrelated surveys. The Transportation Education andTraining Committee has sponsored Annual Meetingworkshops on the impact of sociodemographic changeson the transportation workforce.u NCHRP project. NCHRP Project 20-83(06), Effects ofSociodemographics on Travel Demand, is starting up inspring 2010 to assess the possible effects of sociodemographicfactors on travel demand over the next 50 years.The second objective is to identify strategies and actionsto assist state departments of transportation and otheragencies to plan and prepare for plausible future scenarios.The research will enhance understanding of therelationship between social, demographic, and economicfactors and travel demand.More information on these activities is available atwww.TRB.org.TR NEWS 264 SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 200913
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