Planning Towards Prosperity: How Transit Affects The Educational Trajectories Of Students

This Major Paper examines the role access to affordable transportation plays in the education choices of secondary and post-secondary students in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). The advancement of the GTHA is dependent on the evolution of technology and urban infrastructure, the expansion and improvement of transportation and transit options are crucial to the prosperity of students and educational institutions. Using a transit equity and justice perspective, the main objective of this Major Paper is to understand the systematic inequalities of the unequal distribution and operation of transit infrastructure. Research involves the assessment of Metrolinx's Regional Transportation Plan - The Big Move, data from the StudentMoveTO survey and a focus group conducted with grade 12 students to understand the barriers and challenges student commuters face.