Abstract Introduction:<\b>
In an area lacking heavy-rail-transportation, the Washington, DC area Silver-Line Metro opened on July 26, 2014. While the Silver-Line provides an opportunity for youth to engage in active transportation (AT), negative environmental (e.g. street trash) and social (e.g. microaggressions) variables converge on the AT experiences of low-income youth and youth of color, particularly Latinos and African Americans. Race-class-gender has been the traditional trinity of intersectional studies, however, for this research, these modalities of identity were explored within the context of transportation inequity. Methods:<\b>
An intersectionality framework was used to examine demographic, environmental and social constructs on youth AT. Recruitment for focus group participants (ages 12-15 years) who lived within a two-mile buffer of the Silver-Line Metro stations occurred from May-August 2016. Gender-specific, semi-structured focus groups were conducted until saturation was achieved. Data were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, manually coded, and analyzed using a content analysis technique with NVivo 11. Results:<\b>
Majority of the focus group participants (15-male; 9-female) represented communities of color. Participants perceived AT as “exercise”, however, many reported parents and safety as barriers to AT. Safety was defined by many through a race-class-gender lens. For example, a female participant stated,“… people [are] not safe…they're really mean in the neighborhood I live in, they’re really racist…”. Another male participant indicated that for his safety his parents told him not to walk in “areas certain people live”. Conclusion:<\b>
Our findings revealed that interactions and decision-making processes relating to youth AT and everyday life were complex and socially interconnected.
