UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies

The purpose of this study was to conduct exploratory research on the transportation needs of Mexican immigrants in California, their use of different modes of transportation, their experiences with each mode, and the challenges they experience with respect to the transportation system as they go about their daily lives. We explored differences by car ownership status (households with and without a car) and by geographic area within California. To conduct this research, we held ten focus group interviews (in Spanish) with Mexican immigrants in the summer of 2006 in the cities of Fresno, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Jose, Stockton, and Sacramento, California. The results are presented using a mix of qualitative summaries of the discussions in addition to systematic counts of participants’ comments relating to various themes.