Key takeaways:

• This study seeks to reframe the narrative around transportation accessibility as a form of epistemic justice, valuing the knowledge of low-income people of color, as well as the diversity of knowledge they hold.
• “Lived expertise” or lived experience, the researchers argue, should be valued as part of a holistic understanding of transportation accessibility.
• Quantitative data – such as which demographic groups walk, bike, drive, and use public transportation - and technical language about the condition (or existence) of roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, and transit often takes the spotlight from individuals and groups who live in neighborhoods being studied for transportation research.
• Framing transportation inequities solely on quantitative data detracts from the lived experience of a neighborhood – access to a car, cost of travel, proximity or structure of the transportation system, and physical limitations or disabilities.
• Perception is a factor that cannot be quantified. Lived experiences tell the story of harassment, fear for personal safety, fear of certain public spaces, interactions with police, and social judgment.
• Generating local knowledge derived from lived experiences of low-income people of color requires talking and, more importantly, listening.