Evolution in the mobility of members of lone-parent families in the Québec metropolitan area between 1996 and 2006: A comparison between female-headed and male-headed households
This research aims to provide decision makers with reliable tools to evaluate the risk of socio-spatial exclusion of lone-parent families in order to promote public policies that reduce social inequities in urban areas. Lone-parent families are considered one of the most disadvantaged groups in society. This article focuses on the spatial aspects of social exclusion. The general objective is to analyse the variability in the mobility conditions and constraints faced by members of lone-parent households. The hypothesis is that lone-parent families headed by mothers have a mobility deficit compared to those led by fathers, which is reflected in lower travel speeds amongst the members of the former. The methodology is based on statistical tests of differences in means and proportions, centrographic analyses of the spatial distribution of residences, and quantile regression analyses for 1996, 2001 and 2006, in the Quebec City Metropolitan Region. The results indicate that households headed by mothers are less motorised and its adult members made a lower proportion of theirs trips by car, which is detrimental to their accessibility. Moreover, after controlling for environmental, socio-economic, and spatial factors, this mobility deficit remains statistically significant throughout the study period. This deficit is particularly larger in the trips associated with high travel speeds.