The Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) celebrated the research achievements of graduating doctoral candidates at a special Ph.D. Transportation Seminar on Friday, May 2. The event featured presentations from four scholars whose work spans transportation engineering, planning, climate resilience, automation, and mobility equity.
Ph.D. Student, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Advised by CEE Professor Susan Shaheen
Talk: Can Electric Vehicle Carsharing Improve Grocery Access in Underserved Communities? A Case Study of BlueLA
Ziad Yassine’s dissertation explores the potential of one-way electric vehicle (EV) carsharing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while advancing mobility equity. Focusing on BlueLA, an income-tiered electric vehicle (EV) carsharing program in Los Angeles, his research examines whether such services can improve access to essential destinations—specifically, grocery stores—in underserved communities.
By integrating spatial-temporal accessibility modeling with user survey data, Ziad evaluates how well EV carsharing bridges transportation-related food access gaps. His findings provide new insights into the equity outcomes of sustainable mobility programs and highlight the importance of aligning transportation innovations with community needs.