Article
Getting Around When You’re Just Getting By: Transportation Survival Strategies of the Poor
Journal of Poverty
(2014)
Abstract
Researchers argue that transportation expenditures impose a heavy burden on low-income households, many of whom experience difficulty managing their travel costs. However, relatively little research explores how low-income households manage their mobility needs. To address this issue, this study uses qualitative data from interviews with 73 low-income people living in and around San Jose, California. The interviews reveal the resiliency of low-income families in creatively managing their transportation costs. However, the transportation survival strategies of the poor can come at a high price—fewer miles traveled and, therefore, reduced access to opportunities that may lift them out of poverty.
Keywords
- expenditure burden,
- transportation,
- survival strategies,
- mobility,
- public transit,
- automobiles
Disciplines
Publication Date
2014
Publisher Statement
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Citation Information
Evelyn Blumenberg and Asha W. Agrawal. "Getting Around When You’re Just Getting By: Transportation Survival Strategies of the Poor" Journal of Poverty Vol. 18 Iss. 4 (2014) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/asha_agrawal/41/