Promoting a Sense of Identity - Autonomy and Control

How Does A Sense of Identity for Public Transportation Create Autonomy and Control?

As part of the environment and a key mediator between that environment and the individual, urban transportation can affect and be affected by its users' desires for autonomy and control. Urban travelers favor transportation systems that serve these desires (Brunner, 1966, 100; cited in Yago, 1983). As part of the urban environment, transportation contributes to the set of props relevant to the individual's social role. Consequently, transportation congestion, overcrowding, subway breakdowns, and the like may create a dehumanizing environment that erodes the urban dweller's sense of identity (Bateman and Brown, 1968; Tehan and Wachs, 1972; cited in Yago, 1983).