Equity
Equity in Planning at SPC
At every opportunity, our organization strives to expand accessibility for and investment in all communities, with a focus on Environmental Justice and other disadvantaged communities as identified by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and several subsequent Executive Orders, along with communities our organization identified as underserved in the Southwestern Pennsylvania Region (all referred to together as “communities of concern”).
Our Equity Program advances the tenets of the region’s Long-Range Plan, Smart Moves, which names equity as a central component to the region’s goals. We maintain up-to-date mapping (with current census data), to identify communities of concern in the 10-county Southwestern Pennsylvania region. These communities are notated through Environmental Justice and Title VI mandates, but also through indicators brought forward through the public planning process, such as households without high-speed internet or without access to a vehicle.
This data-driven process informs several planning efforts at SPC, including the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), and the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRP), both of which include a burdens and benefits analysis of populations based on investment of federal funds. It also informs and is expanded upon in several other planning documents listed below. Additionally, SPC prioritizes equity in all public involvement processes.
Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.
Click to view the CEJST.
To identify Justice40 communities, SPC uses the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.
Explore Equity in our Policies and Planning Documents
Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRP):
Long-Range Transportation Plan: addresses equity in multimodal transportation systems, including public transit. The report on Environmental Justice focuses on equity in distribution of federal funding and planning efforts for transportation.
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP):
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP): Addresses equity in short-term transportation investments. The report on Environmental Justice focuses on equity in distribution of federal funding for transportation and the state of infrastructure region-wide.
Public Participation Plan
Public Participation Plan: Focuses on increasing the number of participants and meaningful input throughout the planning process, including from traditionally underserved populations.
Public Transit-Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan (CTP)
Public Transit-Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan: Focuses on equity and enhanced mobility for communities designated by federal transit law, including seniors, individuals with disabilities, and other public representatives.
Southwestern Pennsylvania Connected – Equitable Broadband Access
Southwestern Pennsylvania Connected – Equitable Broadband Access: Focuses on equity in access to affordable, reliable broadband internet across the region.
Active Transportation Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania
Active Transportation Plan: Addresses equity in access to walking and biking as well as safety.
SmartMoves Connections
SmartMoves Connections Plan: An off-shoot of the LRP, addresses equity specifically within a regional concept for public transportation and coordination among agencies.
Regional Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Strategic Action Plan
Regional Transportation Demand Management Strategic Action Plan: Addresses equity in travel options for all population groups, particularly transit options for low-income riders.
Director, Office of Transportation Planning
(412) 391-5590 x0327
lgabreski@spcregion.org