ABSTRACT
Transportation planners must consider both the benefits and burdens of their decisions. (Centre for Urban Transportation Research @ https://www.ciatrans.net/index.shtml sponsored by the US Federal Highway Administration)
US Policy Guidance Concerning Application of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to Metropolitan and Statewide Planning-
Assessing Title VI Capability_Federal Transit Administration (FTA)/FHWA Actions -Environmental Justice in State Planning and Research (SPR) and Unified Planning Work Programs (UPWPs): At a minimum, FHWA and FTA should review with States, MPOs, and transit operators how Title VI is addressed as part of their public involvement and plan development processes. Since there is likely to be the need for some upgrading of activity in this area, a work element to assess and develop improved strategies for reaching minority and low-income groups through public involvement efforts and to begin developing or enhancing analytical capability for assessing impact distributions should be considered [emphasis added] in upcoming SPRs and UPWPs. Federal Register: May 19, 2000 65(98) @ https://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/ EPA-IMPACT/2000/May/Day19/i12590.htm
In the most deprived wards fifty percent of households do not have a car (compared to only 11 percent of households in the least deprived areas). Those who cannot afford their own private form of transport are dependent upon safe, accessible and reliable public transport to access key services. (Social Exclusion Unit Report (2003) cited in Nacro @ https://www.nacro.org.uk/data/briefings/nacro-2003090400-csps.pdf )
Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities are more likely than others to live in deprived neighbourhoods; be poor; be unemployed compared with white people with similar qualifications; suffer ill health; and live in overcrowded and unpopular housing. People from BME communities experience widespread racial harassment and racist crime and are over-represented throughout the criminal justice system. A number of reports have portrayed past regeneration initiatives as having had little impact upon BME
communities and cited among other issues their failure to target interventions directly to BME communities and their failure to engage BME communities. The National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal places great emphasis on community involvement and has broken new ground in producing Race Equality Guidance for New Deal for Communities. Throughout the Neighbourhood Renewal programme, partnerships are expected to achieve meaningful engagement of BME communities, ensuring that they are able to contribute effectively and to secure sustainable benefit. (Black and Minority Ethnic Community Networks, renewal.net, 2002)
The new range of transport planning tools found in innovations such as GPS and GIS protocols and approaches open up the prospect of more directed and targeted transport practice and organization. There are signs in the policy environment of such an opening up with the development of New Centres for Excellence in Integrated Transport Planning based in the local authorities as opposed to the universities: however, there appears to be no specific coverage of ethnic and equity issues within this framework:
In 2002, the DTLR set up a series of Centres of Excellence for integrated Transport Planning, designed to highlight good practice in integrated local transport planning and encouraging the sharing of experience. Some of these Centres of Excellence are of particular relevance in tackling poor transport links in neighbourhoods. For example:
Topic Centre of Excellence Details Accessibility Tyne & Wear Improving access to
public transport Air quality Bristol Developing an Air Quality
Action Plan Bus Oxfordshire The provision of bus
based solutions, including quality partnerships
Home Zones Greater Manchester Development and implementation
Integrated transport West Yorkshire Interchanges, smartcard ticketing, guided busways
Public transport South Yorkshire Information provision and integrated ticketing
Social inclusion Merseyside Ensuring quality in travel opportunities
Working through partnerships
Hampshire Joint working, partnerships and innovative delivery techniques
Extract from Renewal.net on Poor Transport Links (2002)
Given the expansion of policy space for the evaluation of poor transport links and their consequences for deprived communities, this chapter will
concentrate on the need for consideration of local circumstances and experiences, in order to address equity concerns, when developing transport policies. Listening to the voices in this book, there is clearly a gap between public and professional perceptions of accessibility and in perceptions of what measures are required to remedy deficiencies. The accessibility problems of one area are not necessarily shared by another: what constitutes a transport solution for one neighbourhood may result in an adverse impact in another neighbourhood. As we saw, the plan for the Nottingham tram was viewed as producing benefits for many but there were those who its planned alignment injured – smooth running traffic to the city centre was to be obtained at the price of lost street space in ethnic neighbourhoods.
