This
project is designed to provide the North Carolina Department of Transportation
(NCDOT) with implementation-ready tools for incorporating data-driven
socioeconomic measures into the Strategic Transportation Investments (STI) prioritization
process for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit projects. This research will equip
NCDOT with the tools needed to incorporate community-level data into the
prioritization process that has been historically challenging to integrate.
Originally
proposed with a focus on incorporating a Raster Suitability Analysis (RSA) methodology,
this project has pivoted towards using proximity analysis techniques that more
closely align with existing prioritization practices and that are better suited
to the relevant data and NCDOT’s needs. A core component of this process is a
technique that supports the consistent measurement and comparison of
transportation disadvantage in communities proximate to projects across the
state.
Additional deliverables include techniques for augmenting these
residential-based community characteristics with workplace characteristics (low
and middle-income job centers) and tools for improving and expanding POI
analysis with additional data and context-sensitive measurement techniques.
These
approaches developed through this study can serve as a foundation for other
equity-related measures developed for future NCDOT prioritization cycles.
