Catch-a-Ride Mobility Wallet Evaluation

Summary

College students in the Detroit region face many obstacles to earning a college degree, with limited access to reliable public transportation being a major barrier to postsecondary student success.

To address this challenge, with funding from the Kresge Foundation, the Youth Policy Lab is partnering with the Detroit Promise Authority Zone, the Partnership for Education Equity and Research (Detroit PEER) at Wayne State University, and Education Policy Initiative (EPI) at the University of Michigan to evaluate the Detroit Promise's Catch-a-Ride Mobility Wallet pilot program. The project provides Detroit Promise students at Henry Ford College and other participating institutions with access to Catch-a-Ride (formerly known as Feonix), a mobile app that allows students to use program-funded transportation services.

Through student surveys, interviews with Detroit Promise coaches, student focus groups, and Catch-a-Ride usage data, the research team is exploring how transportation support helps students meet their basic needs and persist in college. The study will also develop evidence-based recommendations to strengthen the program moving forward.

Post-secondary access and attainment