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Supplemental infrastructure: how community networks and immigrant identity influence cycling

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  • Jesus M. Barajas

    (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

Abstract

While factors such as urban form, infrastructure, and attitudes shape cycling behavior, the experience of cycling can vary drastically across socioeconomic and identity groups. For foreign-born residents of the United States, additional factors associated with income and cultural context may influence cycling. In this study, I ask how factors associated with being an immigrant, such as economic status, cultural habits, residential location, and social environments, motivate or deter cycling. Results are based on 23 in-depth interviews with low-income Latino immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area. Interviews reveal that close-knit social networks buoyed by support from immigrant-serving organizations encourage cycling, providing social infrastructure where other types of infrastructure may be absent. However, neighborhood safety is a significant deterrent that men and women respond to in different ways. Other effects, such as gentrification, immigrant experiences, and cultural narratives, shape individuals’ perceptions of belonging as a cyclist in their neighborhood. Findings suggest that planners should collaborate with immigrant-serving community organizations and be more centrally involved in addressing neighborhood conditions and their effects on travel.

Suggested Citation

  • Jesus M. Barajas, 2020. "Supplemental infrastructure: how community networks and immigrant identity influence cycling," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 1251-1274, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:transp:v:47:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s11116-018-9955-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11116-018-9955-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Lowe, Kate & Barajas, Jesus & Coren, Chelsie, 2023. "“It's annoying, confusing, and it's irritating”: Lived expertise for epistemic justice and understanding inequitable accessibility," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    2. Barajas, Jesus M., 2021. "The effects of driver licensing laws on immigrant travel," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 22-34.
    3. Hu, Lingqian & Klein, Nicholas J. & Smart, Michael J., 2021. "Comparing immigrant commute travel adaptation across and within racial/ethnic groups," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 112-122.
    4. Giacomantonio, Sarah & Mitra, Raktim & Ravensbergen, Léa, 2024. "Bicycle facilities and women's cycling frequency – An intersectional analysis of gendered travel behaviour," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    5. Vietinghoff, Christina, 2021. "An intersectional analysis of barriers to cycling for marginalized communities in a cycling-friendly French City," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    6. Naseri, Mahsa & Delbosc, Alexa & Kamruzzaman, Liton, 2023. "The role of neighbourhood design in cycling activity during COVID-19: An exploration of the Melbourne experience," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).

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