Thursday, February 13, 2025 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM (ET)
This research analyzes gender issues for female drivers and passengers of transportation network companies (TNCs) and taxis. Between August 2023 and May 2024, the researchers conducted driver and rider focus groups (n=8 drivers and n=8 passengers); a driver survey (n=170); a TNC user/non-user survey (n=440, including n=217/440 taxi non-users, n=7/440 TNC non-users, and a subset of n=5/440 non-users of TNCs and taxis); and expert interviews (n=13). This research finds that both female drivers and passengers experience an array of safety concerns and challenges traveling with young children in TNCs (e.g., traveling with a car seat, driver accommodation of car seats, etc.). The report discusses policy considerations to address these concerns (e.g., expanding a ‘women-preferred’ option for drivers and passengers and introducing an optional service for drivers to provide car seats for passengers with children). These policies could help reduce several concerns that female drivers and passengers confront when using TNCs.
About the Presenters:
Brooke Wolfe is a survey researcher at the UC Berkeley Transportation Sustainability Research Center (TSRC). She joined TSRC after completing her master’s degree in civil engineering with an emphasis in energy, civil infrastructure, and climate. She works on a wide variety of projects related to innovative mobility including shared mobility, automated vehicles, electric vehicles, and other aspects of transportation. She is interested in understanding how humans interact with transportation systems and exploring how transportation plays a role in the balance of the environment, and the economy.
Matthew W. Daus, Esq. currently serves as Transportation Technology Chair at the City University of New York’s (CUNY) Transportation Research Center of The City College of New York, where he conducts research, and continues to be extensively published as an expert on ground transportation regulation and technology. As a CUNY Distinguished Lecturer from 2010-2018, he taught courses on transportation history, policy, sustainability, for-hire regulation and technology. Mr. Daus also continues to serve, since 2009, as President of the International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR), a non-profit educational peer group of government transportation regulators from around the world promoting best regulatory and innovative practices. Mr. Daus is the longest serving Commissioner/Chair/CEO of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), where he served from 2001-2010. Prior to his tenure as Commissioner, Mr. Daus served in many other executive and counsel positions in NYC government for almost 20 years, including: General Counsel to the TLC and the NYC Community Development Agency; Special Counsel to the TLC and NYC Trade Waste Commission; NYC Human Rights Prosecutor; and Commissioner of the NYC Civil Service Commission. Mr. Daus is a partner at Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP, where he founded and chairs the Transportation Practice Group since 2010.
