Challenge  

The Strategic Management Plan and the Caltrans Equity Statement direct the Department improve its performance with respect to equity in the community. However, qualitative language is hard to implement. Key questions, such as which demographics are of concern, and how to operationalize  poor transportation service and negative transportation impacts, needed to be addressed quantitatively and spatially.  

Solution  

CalEPA maintains a spatial environmental equity tool called CalEnviroScreen, and the federal government maintains a similar Justice 40 map. However, these are not well suited to addressing transportation equity, e.g. due to the lack of spatial granularity and detailed transportation service metrics. The EQI, developed over about two years with significant partner input, provides a transportation-focused tool that identifies disadvantaged communities based on transportation-related conditions.  

Result  

• Informs forward-looking policy decisions. For example, EQI-derived metrics are being incorporated in the Caltrans Strategic Investment Strategy (CSIS)  

• Informs forward-looking project decisions. Before-and-after conditions can be run in EQI to determine if a project is creating meaningful improvements in disadvantaged communities  

• Serves as a tracking tool  

• Can assess where it is making investments and ensure that disadvantaged communities are being served

Project Contact:  

Nailah Pope-Harden - Nailah.Pope.Harden@dot.ca.gov 

Deputy Director, Equity & Tribal Affairs