Inclusive Transportation Solutions
The ability to get to and from school should never be what prevents somebody from earning a degree. But for too many college students, it is.
That’s why Toyota is partnering with California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) on a multipronged program focused on transportation equity for CSUDH and its surrounding communities, based on the idea of mobility for all.
In the initial phase of the program, a $1.2 million grant from Toyota is helping to establish the Center for Resilient, Equitable and Sustainable Transportation at CSUDH. The Center will serve as a transportation information hub and also engage faculty and students in research, curricula and paid internships to find solutions to local mobility challenges.
CSUDH sits in the community of Carson, California, just south of Los Angeles. According to the University, many of its students face numerous barriers to completing their education—one of which is inadequate transportation. More than 95 percent of CSUDH students commute to campus, and a needs assessment conducted in communities around the University revealed transportation disparities and limited public transit options.
Recognizing these challenges, another key element of the program is providing students with sustainable and accessible transportation. KINTO, Toyota’s carsharing program, will supply CSUDH with 20 hybrid and/or battery electric vehicles starting in the fall of 2024 to increase students’ access to convenient vehicle rentals at a highly-discounted rate.
With improved transportation options, students could have more time to focus on their academic goals, have easier access to job opportunities and be able to take full advantage of living in Greater Los Angeles.
To accommodate the new vehicle fleet and offer improved charging capabilities on campus, CSUDH is also partnering with Southern California Edison to install electric charging stations on campus in the near future.
Additionally, the University is in the early stages of reconfiguring a key campus corridor into a Metro Transit Hub. This joint project with the City of Carson would be funded by $3.5 million allocated to the campus by LA Metro. The ultimate vision is to create a campus Mobility Hub to help minimize commuters’ carbon footprint with upgraded public transit and transportation intermodalities.
The program demonstrates that when we work together to build a more sustainable future, we can improve the quality of life and create lasting change for the communities we serve.
Toyota believes that when people are free to move, anything is possible. The CSUDH program aligns perfectly with Toyota’s mobility for all vision, which aims to leave ‘no one behind’ by providing people with accessible, low and zero emission mobility solutions to meet their diverse needs.
