Project description

The proposed research focuses on community engagement activities and analyses that assess unmet travel needs and identify possible shared mobility solutions in rural Kings County, which faces significant environmental and economic challenges. Community engagement will involve local community-based organizations (CBOs) and affordable housing organizations, including King County Housing Authority, UPHolding, and Self-Help Enterprises, the largest affordable housing developer in the San Joaquin Valley with a well-established community development arm. We will also work with a home-grown non-profit shared mobility provider in the San Joaquin Valley, Miocar, that will help us identify shared mobility options and implementation costs. The proposed PSR project would support an in-depth assessment of needs and alternatives through (1) analysis of available reports and data, (2) participation in community engagement activities, (3) conducting resident interviews, focus groups, or surveys, and (4) drafting a final report documenting the process, needs, and recommendations. The outcome of this research will be a well-informed and detailed plan to expand accessibility that is fundable through existing local, state, and federal funding mechanisms.