Navigating Salvador's Transportation Landscape

Navigating the bustling streets of Salvador, Brazil, presents a complex challenge, particularly for the diverse community of the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). From the labyrinthine alleys of Pelourinho to the bustling avenues of Barra, each journey encapsulates a commute and a narrative of resilience, challenge, and aspiration.

In this article, we’ll embark on a journey through the urban mobility landscape of UFBA's community, peeling back the layers to reveal the human stories that animate Salvador's transportation network. Beyond data, we’ll delve into the highs and lows experienced by students as they traverse the city.

Our exploration extends beyond the campus confines, situating urban mobility challenges within the broader socio-economic tapestry of Brazil. Within Salvador's streets, the palpable echoes of socio-spatial segregation reverberate, perpetuating disparities that seep into the daily lives of residents, shaping their health, educational opportunities, and socio-economic prospects.

As we dissect the daily transportation experience, it becomes evident that addressing transport gaps alone is insufficient. The plan must confront the underlying social and economic inequities woven into the fabric of the city, recognizing that true mobility encompasses not just physical movement but also social inclusion and justice.

Why was UFBA the Chosen Subject for this Article?

UFBA stands as a microcosm of Salvador's vibrant social tapestry, encapsulating a diverse array of backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations within its student body. As one of Brazil's premier educational institutions, UFBA attracts students from across the country, fostering a rich blend of cultures, perspectives, and socio-economic backgrounds.

This diversity not only mirrors the broader demographic landscape of Salvador but also offers a unique lens through which to examine urban mobility experiences. By focusing on UFBA's community, this article aims to capture the varied realities faced by individuals from different walks of life, shedding light on how urban mobility intersects with education, social dynamics, and quality of life.

Moreover, UFBA's central location within Salvador provides an ideal vantage point from which to assess the effectiveness and impact of PlanMob Salvador on a localized scale, offering insights that can inform broader urban planning initiatives in the city and beyond.

What Did We Do to Understand the Needs and Complaints of the University’s Population?

Using Barbetta's formula, a sample of 403 people within UFBA was meticulously selected to ensure diversity in courses, semesters, and administrative roles, including 12.6% faculty, 15.8% administrative staff, 66.2% students (undergraduate and postgraduate), and 5.4% in other roles. We explored their transportation preferences and challenges.

A comprehensive questionnaire, distributed through email, WhatsApp, and in-person interactions, covered demographic data, user satisfaction, knowledge about mobility, and social participation in PlanMob.

Drumroll, Please: Here's the Lowdown from Our Survey! 

Notably, 42% opt for private transportation, 10.6% choose shared options such as Uber or taxis, 39.7% rely on public transport, 4.3% prefer walking, and 3.4% use bicycles. Over 50% of the sample favor individual transportation, highlighting a predominant reliance on personal vehicles for daily commuting. The mobility report card reveals a mixed sentiment among students, with safety, infrastructure, and travel time emerging as crucial factors shaping their experiences.

While the city’s government seems satisfied with the urban mobility solutions implemented over the past 5 years, participants' perceptions of transportation modes don’t rise to the same level of satisfaction. Private and shared transportation receive higher safety ratings but fall short of the desired satisfaction level. Walking and public transport, perceived as less secure due to user exposure, receive notably lower safety scores. This shows that there is a tradeoff between safety and other traits users desire, such as cost and infrastructure.

The infrastructure ratings expose critical areas for improvement, with walking and cycling garnering the lowest scores. These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced infrastructure to sustainably promote more active and lower-cost modes of mobility.

Call to Action: Unveiling Urban Mobility Realities

The findings from our mini-study tell us about the challenges and call for action. UFBA’s university community, through their mobility journeys, emphasizes the need for enhanced public transit, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, and improved safety measures. What can we take from that? Urban mobility isn't just about getting from A to B; it has deep intersections with class.

Either mobility projects allow for user-friendly, easy movement, allowing all people, regardless of their monetary standing, to move around the city (e.g., by having cheap and accessible public transportation, safe walking paths, and de-centralizing cars as the main form of transportation), or they widen current socioeconomic gaps by making it more difficult for low-income people to move around the city (e.g., by requiring cars).

Of course, this deeply impacts market forces. As market researchers, we need to be cognizant of the micro-economies that we’re engaging with. Whether our consumers are living within 15-minute walkable cities or vast, sprawling autopias drastically changes the ways in which they live and shop. For those living in the US, think about the differences in economy between New York City and Los Angeles.

So, as cities in LATAM, such as Salvador, aim to transition from car-dominant economies to more walkable and tightly-knit communities, we need to remember the implications of such shifts for our clients and partners. Consumption looks vastly different if you’re sitting in a car all day versus strolling through the streets - let’s meet consumers where they are.