| Description |
This project explores the transportation experiences of international students in Salt Lake City, focusing on accessibility, safety, and systemic inequities in public transit. Although public transportation is essential for college students, particularly those with limited financial resources and no U.S. credit history, significant challenges persist. Drawing from 23 in-depth interviews, the study highlights key barriers including discriminatory practices, safety concerns, limited service frequency, and infrastructural inadequacies. Participants reported experiences of racial bias by transit staff, discomfort in encounters with homeless individuals, and unreliable transit schedules, which together reduce public transportation's practicality and desirability. Building on literature examining transit equity for immigrants and the intersection of transportation with race, gender, and language proficiency, the study situates Salt Lake City's transit landscape within broader structural dynamics. It analyzes the role of semi-public spaces like buses in reinforcing power imbalances and racialized experiences of public space. While initiatives such as UTA On Demand, Paratransit services, and discounted fares aim to enhance accessibility, persistent service gaps and social barriers remain. The project recommends four primary strategies for improvement: (1) expanding service frequency and geographic coverage; (2) implementing mandatory cultural sensitivity training for transit staff; (3) offering multilingual resources to better serve non-English-speaking riders; and (4) enhancing station infrastructure to improve safety. Addressing both the physical and social dimensions of transit accessibility is critical to ensuring that Salt Lake City's public transportation system supports the mobility needs of international students and underserved communities equitably. |
