Mobility inequalities are commonly attributed to individual or cultural differences, yet they are often produced through long-standing spatial and infrastructural conditions. This study examines how residential context and ethnic stratification are associated with daily travel behaviour in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Using GPS-based data from the 2016–2017 Household Travel Survey (N = 13,503), we compare Jews living in Jewish towns (JJ), Arabs living in Jewish towns (AJ), and Arabs living in Arab towns (AA). Weighted ANCOVA and interaction regression models show that AJ and JJ display highly similar travel distances, times, and speeds, while AA consistently experiences longer, slower, and more time-intensive travel. These disparities are substantially reduced under higher household vehicle availability and greater neighbourhood density. Rather than reflecting intrinsic ethnic differences, the observed mobility gaps are consistent with ethnic stratification operating through residential context and access to transport resources. The findings contribute empirical evidence on the spatial structuring of mobility outcomes within a single metropolitan region.
Saadi et al. (Tue,) studied this question.