On March 6, 2020, PSR held its annual Emerging Scholars Transportation Research Symposium (ESTRS) at USC. ESTRS is an annual opportunity for students, young scholars, academia, and industry professionals to exchange research ideas and discuss modern transportation-related challenges. This year, the attendees enjoyed the presentations of scholars from the University of Southern California (USC); the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); the University of California, Irvine (UCI); the University of California, Davis (UCD); and California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). This article is one in a series of three articles highlighting the Symposium itself and individual presenters.

UCLA doctoral student, Miriam Pinski, presented her research, "The Impact of Residential Bundled Parking on Auto and Transit Use." in the session titled "Mobility, Technology, and Travel Behavior," moderated by UCLA Professor and report co-author Michael Manville.

Pinski's research investigates the relationship between bundled residential parking and travel behavior, with a particular focus on the use of public transportation, and controlling for vehicle ownership. "When the cost of parking is bundled into the price of housing, the time and stress of finding parking near home falls,” Pinski shared.  “These lower costs may lead households with bundled parking to drive more and use transit less than households without parking, even if both households own vehicles." Pinski added that that, to date, this has been difficult to examine empirically. "I test this prediction using the public transportation module of the 2013 American Housing Survey and confirm the association between bundled parking and travel. Households with bundled parking use transit less, spend more on gasoline, and—when they do take transit—are more likely to drive from their homes to the transit stop."

^{Pinski's presentation at ESTRS.}

Pinski’s focus is on studying transportation and equity issues for vulnerable populations, such as older adults and women. She received a Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA in 2018. She also researched gender-sensitive urban planning as a Fulbright scholar in Vienna, Austria from 2015 to 2016.  

Pinski appreciated the symposium.  "I found it very valuable to be able to practice presenting my research to an audience. It was my first academic presentation, and I learned many lessons from it.” She also noted  that the event gives presenters and attendees alike the opportunity network and make valuable connections. "I enjoyed meeting the other presenters and students in the audience," she added.

Pinski found another valuable component of the event to be the experience answering questions afterwards to audience members, and that the presenters were organized well. "I found the group I presented with to have the most similar research interests to my own."

We thank Miriam Pinski for participating in the Symposium and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.

About the Author:

Adylbek Abdykalikov is a recent graduate student of the Masters of International Public Policy and Management program at USC Price. He has working experience in various positions at the Ministries of Transport and Communication and Investment and Development of Kazakhstan and was in charge of Transportation and Civil Aviation policy development and implementation. He served as the lead writer to METRANS Newsletter and lead student event coordinator for METRANS and PSR.