UC Berkeley Transportation Sustainability Research Center

California is the destination for over one-quarter of immigrants tothe United States, and immigrants now make up over one-quarterof the state's population. To ensure that transportation systems andservices adequately meet the needs of recent immigrants, plannersneed a firm understanding of the travel behavior of immigrantgroups. This paper reports on key findings from a three-phasedstudy: (1) analysis of data on commute travel of California immigrantsfrom the 1980, 1990, and 2000 Censuses; (2) focus groups with recentMexican immigrants on their transportation experiences and needsin six California regions; and (3) interviews with community-basedorganizations in nine California regions on the transportationneeds and wants of Mexican immigrants. These findings point toa long list of potential strategies for agencies and organizations toconsider in efforts to more effectively meet the transportation needsof Mexican and other immigrants in California.