Not just ‘point A to point B’: U researchers talk transit equity

For her master’s thesis, McDonnell researched how people experience transit differently, and how the design of city transportation plans accommodate their needs — or not.

Last year, she analyzed the 10-year transportation plans of several cities around Minnesota, including Minneapolis, Bloomington, Little Canada and Centerville. Looking for specific keywords related to gender, as well as how each comprehensive plan accounted for inclusivity, she found almost none of these city plans explicitly addressed how people experience or use transportation differently.