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HUNGRY AND TAKING THE BUS? ASSESSING FOOD OUTLET ACCESSIBILITY IN CENTRAL FLORIDA

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Date Issued:
2011
Abstract/Description:
Little academic research has been conducted examining access to transportation by those in need. The small amount of research that has been done focuses primarily on mobility issues of the elderly and the disabled, despite findings that income level is an important determinant in access to transportation. The few studies that have examined access to transportation in relation to income simply cite the difficulties that those in poverty face when attempting to access vital resources as problematic, yet very few focus specifically on this issue. This thesis examines how free food recipients commute to and from local pantries, and whether public transportation in the Orlando metropolitan area adequately services food bank resources utilized by low income individuals. Physical location data as well as survey questionnaires were used to determine commuting patterns as well as the overall availability and utilization of transit options of Orlando's low income population. Findings from this study show that even though nearly 50% of respondents do not own a car, public transportation remains a last option, making the Orlando area heavily dependent on cars, even for those with no direct access to one. Despite low public transit ridership, it was found that the majority of food pantries in Orange County are adequately serviced by LYNX, while pantries in Seminole County suffer from a severe lack of services.
Title: HUNGRY AND TAKING THE BUS? ASSESSING FOOD OUTLET ACCESSIBILITY IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.
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Name(s): Smith, Katelan, Author
Wright, James, Committee Chair
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2011
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Little academic research has been conducted examining access to transportation by those in need. The small amount of research that has been done focuses primarily on mobility issues of the elderly and the disabled, despite findings that income level is an important determinant in access to transportation. The few studies that have examined access to transportation in relation to income simply cite the difficulties that those in poverty face when attempting to access vital resources as problematic, yet very few focus specifically on this issue. This thesis examines how free food recipients commute to and from local pantries, and whether public transportation in the Orlando metropolitan area adequately services food bank resources utilized by low income individuals. Physical location data as well as survey questionnaires were used to determine commuting patterns as well as the overall availability and utilization of transit options of Orlando's low income population. Findings from this study show that even though nearly 50% of respondents do not own a car, public transportation remains a last option, making the Orlando area heavily dependent on cars, even for those with no direct access to one. Despite low public transit ridership, it was found that the majority of food pantries in Orange County are adequately serviced by LYNX, while pantries in Seminole County suffer from a severe lack of services.
Identifier: CFE0003913 (IID), ucf:48757 (fedora)
Note(s): 2011-08-01
M.A.
Sciences, Department of Sociology
Masters
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): Public transportation
poverty
food security
food outlet
GIS
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003913
Restrictions on Access: public
Host Institution: UCF

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