A new study conducted by the Rudin Center for Transportation at NYU Wagner and supported by C2SMART revealed some insights into transportation’s “Pink Tax,” a term used for the extra cost for products and services for women. Some highlights from the study included:
- 75% of women surveyed reported experiencing harassment or theft on public transportation, compared to 47% of men
- Only 12% of women reported harassment to police or authority figures, usually citing a perceived or real lack of action
- Women perceive the safest late-night mode to be for-hire vehicles, like Uber and Lyft, and spend a median of $25 to $50 extra per month to use these modes late at night
- Women’s roles as caregivers impact their mobility as well, including transporting children or older relatives. Frequent caregiver trips cost $75+ per month above their usual travel expenses, as well as being physically taxing.
The work was authored by Sarah Kaufman, Associate Director of the Rudin Center and C2SMART PI, Christopher Polack, and Gloria Campbell. For detailed results and plans for future work on this topic, see the full report.
