Learn about transportation access and equity

IHSI Diversity Committee Monthly Resources

Each month, the IHSI Diversity Committee shares resources and learning opportunities with the rest of the IHSI staff. Curating and sharing these resources allow us to educate ourselves on various topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. As an institute devoted to promoting all forms of health, we want to share these resources more broadly with our campus and community stakeholders. We hope that you will find them as useful as we have.

Transportation access and equity

This month, Michelle Lore, IHSI REDCap Application Manager, shares resources to help us better understand historical contexts around transportation and considerations for making transportation systems accessible and equitable. 

Transportation is part of everyone's daily life. It is often taken for granted, unless someone has temporary or more permanent issues accessing reliable transit. The United States, in particular, has developed to be a car-dependent society. This is due to a history of policies and development that have favored cars over other modes of transportation. This car-forward history has amplified racial and economic inequality in many ways, including razing Black neighborhoods to build interstates and accelerating "white flight" to the suburbs. 

While public transit can be a solution, access is spotty and there are increased time considerations. A study conducted in Champaign-Urbana found that the people who may benefit from public transit most are not being served by the current transit maps. Furthermore, the current methods to assess bus expansion may not capture the needs of this population. Public transit is also not be designed for the comfort and safety of all riders; people in minoritized groups may feel unsafe on public transit and people with mobility needs may struggle with accessibility. 

With all this knowledge, it's important that new transportation solutions take transportation equity into consideration. Transportation equity is two-fold: 1) the goal of ensuring that all community members have their needs met by the transportation systems available to them, and 2) the benefits and burden of transportation systems, services, and spending are fair and just. This short video from the Minnesota Department of Transportation gives a great overview of the mindfulness at play as they move towards incorporating transportation equity into their planning. 

Some things to reflect on:

• What is your relationship to transportation? How often do you think about transportation?
• Were there any times when your transportation patterns had to suddenly shift? How did that affect your life?
• Would you ever consider primarily getting around without a car, such as by bus, bike, or foot? Why or why not? (No judgment!)

Resources:

Here's how cars took over America - 16 minute video from CNBC
How Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Worsened America's Racial Divide - article from Politico
Researchers illuminate gaps in public transportation access, equity - press release from the Illinois News Bureau 
Inequality and transport: who decides where you go? - article from Greenpeace
Transportation Equity - 5 minute video from MnDOT

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