Equity in transportation invests resources in disadvantaged communities which are most dependent on active transportation and transit.
Many disadvantaged communities – sometimes referred to as vulnerable communities or communities of concern – face significant and persistent inequities due to historical marginalization and systemic disinvestment resulting in a lack of resources, opportunities, and unhealthy and unsafe environments.
Disadvantaged communities tend to be the most dependent on active transportation and transit to connect them to economic opportunities and basic needs. Low-income Californians have the highest rates of walking and bicycling, including walking to and from transit. The lack of adequate pedestrian infrastructure can deter/impede mobility, particularly for those with disabilities.
Engaging disadvantaged communities is vital to ensuring that active transportation options are accessible to everyone in California.
Resources
A mapping tool that helps identify California communities that are most affected by many sources of pollution, and where people are often especially vulnerable to pollution’s effects. CalEnviroScreen uses environmental, health, and socioeconomic information to produce scores for every census tract in the state. The scores are mapped so that different communities can be compared. An area with a high score is one that experiences a much higher pollution burden than areas with low scores.
The Transportation Equity Index (EQI) is a spatial screening tool designed to identify transportation-based priority populations at the Census block level. The EQI integrates transportation and socioeconomic indicators into three screens: Transportation-Based Priority Populations, Traffic Exposure, and Access to Destinations.
An interactive mapping tool that uses datasets that are indicators of burdens in eight categories: climate change, energy, health, housing, legacy pollution, transportation, water and wastewater, and workforce development.
An interactive web application that uses 2020 census tracts and data to explore the cumulative burden communities experience, as a result of underinvestment in transportation, in the following five components: Transportation Insecurity, Climate and Disaster Risk Burden, Environmental Burden, Health Vulnerability, and Social Vulnerability.
This factsheet describes strategies and resources for building equity into active transportation projects.
