Environmental Justice (EJ) in transportation has been defined as the fair distribution of transportation benefits and burdens among all people. Under federal regulations pertaining to Environmental Justice, a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) ensures that its Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP)are consistent with Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, identifies and assesses the transportation needs of low-income and minority populations, and acts to improve public involvement processes to eliminate participation barriers for low-income and minority persons.
Project Description and Tasks
Following the NJTPA’s mission and attention to Environmental Justice, the study identifies and assesses the transportation needs of low-income and minority populations of northern New Jersey. For the assessment of the needs, the study is considering both positive impacts of transportation (e.g., enhanced access to jobs) and negative impacts (e.g., air pollution). In addition to assessing the transportation needs through analytical techniques and interaction with stakeholder groups and NJTPA’s partner agencies, the effort will provide an opportunity to the residents of low-income and minority communities to participate in the regional transportation planning process. The specific tasks of the effort are as follows. (Several of the tasks will be undertaken concurrently with other tasks):
For the study, data have been collected and analyzed from various sources, including the US Census Bureau (Population and Economic Census), the NJ Department of Transportation, NJ Transit, NJ Department of Labor, NJ Department of Human Services, NJ Department of Education, the Office of Smart Growth of the NJ Department of Community Affairs, and infoUSA.
A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), comprising of staff from the NJ Department of Transportation, NJ Transit, NJ Department of Human Services, and several NJTPA subregions, is assisting central staff in this effort.
Potential Products
The results from the study will assist the NJTPA and its partner agencies in:
- developing, prioritizing or selecting transportation project concepts for the benefit of low-income and minority populations throughout the region
- informing the ongoing Strategy Evaluation effort, which seeks to identify transportation needs and prioritize localized strategies for the entire NJTPA region
- producing guidelines for use by future NJTPA efforts in assessing impacts of transportation programs and projects
- developing or modifying the NJTPA’s project prioritization criteria
- informing the NJTPA’s Jobs Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program, by providing a comprehensive understanding of the travel behavior of low-income and minority populations, and the location pattern of jobs and job-training centers
- opening opportunities for further collaboration between the NJTPA and its partner agencies for future studies and projects in the context of Environmental Justice
Importantly, conclusions from the study will also be integrated into the 2009 RTP update.
Please contact Deva Deka, Central Staff, at (973) 639-8433 or ddeka@njtpa.org for additional information.