Professor Yingling Fan is co-leader of a $6 million grant project to address transportation insecurity, which occurs when people don’t have reliable access to transportation to meet their daily needs such as attending school, going to work, or grocery shopping. The UMN Center for Transportation Studies is leading the research, which is being funded by the Federal Transit Administration. 

According to the FTA, a growing body of research indicates that transportation insecurity is a significant factor in persistent poverty. Nationally, several well-established policies and programs aim to address food insecurity and housing insecurity, but not transportation insecurity.

Researchers will identify the factors that lead to transportation insecurity and design potential solutions.