Transportation Equity is a huge part of planning for transportation projects and rightly so. It is hard to invite all people at the table though which is why there are people who's job it is to do outreach and come up with potential social and economical issues that projects might have on people and it goes beyond that because there are short term and long term consequences to policies or projects. For example, the dilemma of congestion pricing. Freeways are currently free to use but they have had and currently have negative impacts on those who cannot afford to have a car. Alternatively, placing congestion charges negatively impacts those people who can barely afford a car but have to get to work regardless. This brings up an important point that the market economy applies to everyone, there is no such thing as price equity or affirmative action in the free market and if there was there would be loopholes. Regardless, most people or working class people, have to get to work to survive and in America there is only one mode of transportation that is viable and that is the automobile. Most cities don't have viable alternative modes of transportation in America and that places an enormous burden on working class people not to mention the other financial burdens.
Transportation equity seeks to solve equity problems by developing viable transportation alternatives and exploring ways to make car travel less burdening for working class Americans and this almost always intersects with politics. Policies must be creative and target the indirect support of marginal communities while hindering those doing well, the least otherwise, there are naturally going to be negative economic outcomes. All this work is hard because it has to navigate current systems, policies and laws whilst simply having the goal of bettering communities. Usually though, health and economic factors tend to sway people in favor of policies regardless of political and societal opinions. At the end of the day, transportation agencies must consider if plans are sustainable, economically beneficial and healthy for most people.
Hey Dylan, thanks for posting. You make a great point about the short term and long term impacts of transportation planning. Transportation projects are typically not just about transportation. Most transportation projects have the potential in shifting the land-use of an area. History has already shown us that without an equity focus, displacement and gentrification is bound to occur on the most vulnerable individuals/groups.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I agree with your point about having creative policies that target the underrepresented and underserved communities to achieve transportation equity.
I think you're on to one of the key reasons no US city has seen congestion or road pricing--the alternatives (especially transit) can't support it. We've under-invested in non-auto infrastructure so long--and priced driving so far under its true cost--that the zombie Interstate Era continues on even as at performs more and more poorly. I would love to see a city take a bold stance and use future pricing goals as a reason to invest in transit now, even if the ridership comes later!
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