Public Transportation and the "Right to the City" in California's East Bay
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Syracuse University SURFACE Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Geography - Dissertations Affairs 2013 Rights in Transit: Public Transportation and the "Right to the City" in California's East Bay Kafui Ablode Attoh Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/geo_etd Part of the Geography Commons Recommended Citation Attoh, Kafui Ablode, "Rights in Transit: Public Transportation and the "Right to the City" in California's East Bay" (2013). Geography - Dissertations. 80. https://surface.syr.edu/geo_etd/80 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Geography - Dissertations by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract In recent years, a number of researchers in geography and in urban studies have taken to the idea of the “right to the city.” These scholars have drawn on the idea to frame debates on topics as wide ranging as urban social movements, the regulation of urban public space, to the relationship between cities and citizenship. Implicit in this literature is a conception of the city and of urban space in which political conflict and class struggle are dominating features. This dissertation seeks to add to that discussion by focusing on debates over transit policy in California’s East Bay. In addition to contributing to scholarship on the right to the city, this dissertation also broadly encroaches upon work in transportation geography. Drawing on three months of fieldwork, this dissertation makes two arguments. First, it argues that debates over rights ought to matter for those interested in the geography of urban transportation, and second, it argues for seeing urban mass transit as central to securing a right to the city. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with transit activists and a focus group with transit dependent riders, I highlight the degree to which the democratic rights of many East Bay residents hinge upon transit access. For many of these residents, a right to the city means a right to transit. Across six chapters of the dissertation, I also focus more broadly on the relationship between transit policy and conflicts over rights -- whether these conflicts take the form of labor disputes or civil rights lawsuits. These conflicts, I argue, have shaped the geography of transit in the region. While the dissertation highlights the importance of rights and the right to the city for understanding both the geography of urban transit, as well as transit’s role in the public life of cities, it also highlights some of the challenges and contradictions associated with the idea of the right to the city. Toward the end of the dissertation I address these challenges and contradictions head-on by arguing for understanding the right to the city as a right against the “idiocy of urban life.” RIGHTS IN TRANSIT: PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND THE “RIGHT TO THE CITY” IN CALIFORNIA’S EAST BAY by Kafui Ablode Attoh B.A., Macalester College, 2006 M.A., Syracuse University, 2008 Dissertation Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geography Syracuse University June 2013 Copyright © Kafui Ablode Attoh 2013 All Rights Reserved Acknowledgements This dissertation would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of a wide assortment of people. In the East Bay, I am especially thankful to Eileen Ng, Dick Walker, Lindsey Imai, Anthony Rodgers, Claudia Hudson, David Lyons, Joel Ramos, Joyce Roy, Steve Geller, John Katz, Catherine Powell, Ying Cai, Ron Hook and members the East Bay Center for the Blind. Their voices were central in making this dissertation possible and their work and activism remain a source of inspiration. In completing Rights in Transit, I am especially indebted to the faculty on my dissertation committee. Jamie Winders has been a model of discipline and scholarship. As her TA in 2008, I learned an immeasurable amount about what makes for effective and engaging teaching. Tod Rutherford has been both a great friend and tremendously helpful in shaping my thinking. My independent study with him in 2009 was a formative one. John Mercer’s enthusiasm and engagement with my work has been unwavering. I still have many of the transit- related newspaper clippings that he regularly left in my mailbox. Lori Brown played a central role in my early years in Syracuse and has been supportive all the way through. Between 2009 and 2012, I worked as a research assistant for Lynn Staeheli. Not only was Lynn a great boss, but she was an equally great mentor and friend. Her support and words of encouragement have been crucial throughout. In addition to my committee, I am deeply grateful for the support of the entire faculty and staff of Syracuse’s Geography Department. I am particularly indebted to Bob Wilson, Jonnell Robinson, Matt Huber, Tom Perreault, Jane Read, Jake Bendix, Susan Millar, Christine iv Chapman, Janet Brieddy, Jackie Wells and Margie Johnson. Each of them was key in helping me navigate the rigors and demands of my graduate studies. I would not have been able to write this dissertation without the wonderful support of Syracuse Geography’s graduate student community. Within this community, I extend a special thanks to Katie Wells, Joaquin Villanueva, Declan Cullen, Nancy Hiemstra, Keith Lindner, Jacob Shell, Emily Billo, Anna Lumsden, Anthony Cummings, Beatriz Bustos, Laam Hae, Reecia Orzeck, Matt Himley, Brent Olsen, Lisa Bhungalia, Sanjukta Muhkerjee, Evan Weissman, Ishan Ashutosh, Jose Gonzalez, Elvin Delgado, Kate Coddington, Tina Catania, Flavia Rey de Castro Pastor, Emily Kauffman, Ben Gerlofs, Ingrid Butler, He Wang, Maria Josefson, Ben Mosiane, Thor Ritz, Kriangsak Teerakowitkajorn, Emily Mitchell-Eaton and Jessie Speer. Not only have each contributed to my intellectual growth, but each have had a hand in making Syracuse Geography such a welcoming and exciting place to study. Outside of the university, I had the honor of developing a strong community of support in the Westcott area. Especially important were my friendships with Fatima Espinoza, Carlos Gardeazabal, Sebastian Varela, Libertad Garzon, Rodrigo Hernandez, Alexis Harwood, Toy Basu, Madhura Lohokare, Vincent Stevens, Denise Nepveux and Jenna Lloyd. In the last several years, I have counted on the support of a number of friends in the Hudson Valley. I am especially grateful to Jamie Kelly, Chris Grove, Bryn Roshong, Wes Hannah, Tom O’Dowd and Anne Eschenroeder. Their company has made living in the Hudson Valley both easy and enjoyable. Beyond Syracuse and the Hudson Valley, I have relied on the support of many old friends like Eli Moore, Claudia Jimenez, Wade Johnson, Aaron Johnson Ortiz, Freda Fair, Dario Sulzman and Peter Rachleff. The support of Peter Rachleff, in particular, has been unfaltering. Without v his constant encouragement I would not be where I am. When the Rachleff-Cleary library archive becomes a reality, I hope to be its first patron. Above all, my greatest debt is to my advisor Don Mitchell. Don’s influence on my writing, my thinking and my personal growth is immeasurable. Don possesses a generosity of spirit that is truly incredible. It is unclear how he finds the time -- but he does! From the very beginning, Don has been unbelievably welcoming and supportive. He has kept me honest in ways that have made me a better writer and a better scholar. As both his TA and his RA, I learned an incredible amount. Don is a great scholar, a tremendous advisor, and an even better human being. Being his student has been a true pleasure and I feel very lucky to count him as a mentor and, more importantly, a friend. Lastly I would like to acknowledge my family -- both in Ghana and in the US. My mother Sandra Green continues to be a source of inspiration and a valuable resource in navigating the academic world. She has endured many of my breakdowns and I would not be where I am without her support. Over the years, my brother Kwaku Attoh has had a key role in keeping me grounded. I am sure he will continue to do so going forward. My father Kodjopa Attoh passed away before I was able to finish this dissertation. He would have been incredibly proud. His memory permeates every page of this work. Togbe! Finally, I would like to thank my best friend Angela DeFelice whose faith in me has been unwavering and whose support I could not have done without. vi Table of Contents Abstract i Title Page ii Copyright Notice iii Acknowledgments iv Table of Contents vii List of Acronyms viii List of Figures xi Introduction 1 Chapter One: Rights in Transit, a framework 22 Chapter Two: The Urban Transportation Problem 48 Chapter Three: Geography and the Legal Duties of Public Transit 84 Chapter Four: Labor Rights in Transit 121 Chapter Five: Justice in Transit: Against the Idiocy of Urban Life 162 Chapter Six: Alternatives in Transit 200 Conclusion: Rights in Transit 232 Appendix A: Explanation of Methods 243 Appendix B: List of Interviews 249 Appendix C: AC Transit Performance Data 250 Appendix D: B-Line Pamphlet 253 References 254 Biography 278 vii List of Acronyms AAA- American Automobile Association ACCE- Alliance of Californian’s for Community Empowerment AC Transit – Alameda and Contra Costa Transit District ADA- Americans with Disabilities Act ADAPT- Americans with Disabilities for Accessible Public Transportation AFDC- Aid to Families with Dependent Children APTA- American Public Transportation