Engaging Youth to Increase Their Transportation System Support Understanding and Use

Shafer, Autumn; Macary, Jared · 2018 · ROSA P / National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC)

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Summary

This study addresses the lack of localized research on effective transportation messaging for youth, specifically within the Portland, Oregon region. The primary motivation is to foster sustainable long-term support for non-car mobility (transit, biking, walking) by engaging youth as current users and future decision-makers. The authors aim to develop and evaluate communication strategies that promote positive attitudes, intentions, and behaviors regarding non-car transportation among middle school students, who are transitioning to high school and gaining increased independence. The research employed a systematic, theory-based approach grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, which posits that attitudes, normative beliefs, and perceived behavioral control predict behavioral intentions. The methodology consisted of two stages: pre-production research to identify audience beliefs and production testing to evaluate message effectiveness. Three focus groups were conducted with 28 participants (16 male, 12 female; predominantly Black) entering seventh, eighth, or ninth grades in the Portland Public Schools district. During the pre-production phase, moderators explored participants’ transportation habits, barriers, and communication preferences. In the production testing phase, participants reviewed 15 mock text messages developed by a research team, categorized under three themes: Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), Autonomy, and Generation Z empowerment. Data were analyzed using qualitative coding for focus group transcripts and quantitative content analysis for written reactions to the messages. Findings revealed mixed attitudes toward non-car mobility, heavily influenced by firsthand experience. While participants held supportive normative beliefs—believing friends and parents support non-car options—and perceived behavioral control beliefs that transit is easy to use, a dominant barrier was a lack of agency regarding safety. Participants reported significant anxiety about harassment, violence, and unpredictable behavior on public transit. Regarding communication channels, the study found that while YouTube advertisements might be effective, teens were unlikely to engage with text messages sent to mobile devices. In terms of message themes, participants responded positively to appeals to autonomy, which emphasized independence from parents. Conversely, they generally disliked Generation Z-targeted messaging and showed mixed reactions to FOMO appeals. The significance of this research lies in its provision of empirically grounded recommendations for transportation agencies seeking to increase youth ridership. The study highlights that safety concerns and perceived lack of control are critical barriers that must be addressed before promotional messaging can be effective. It suggests that messaging should prioritize autonomy and independence rather than generic generational appeals or social pressure. Furthermore, the findings caution against relying on text messaging as a primary outreach tool for this demographic. By identifying specific psychological drivers and communication preferences of Portland youth, the report offers a framework for developing age-appropriate, locally tailored strategies that can sustain long-term non-car mobility habits and civic engagement in transportation planning.

Key finding

Youth responded positively to autonomy appeals but generally disliked Generation Z targeted messaging and were unlikely to engage with text messages sent to their mobile devices.

Methodology

other

Sample size: 28

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• passenger effects