Transportation planning and funding decisions often have significant equity impacts; however, few transportation agencies today integrate equity considerations into their transportation prioritization processes. Most practitioners and decision-makers sincerely want to achieve equity objectives, but transportation equity can be difficult to evaluate because there are various factors such as demographics, income, ability, geographic location, and travel considerations.
The purpose of this research is to establish user-friendly approaches to integrate equity into NCDOT’s BCA processes. This has involved deepening two cross-modal measures: air quality and physical health, which can be included into NCDOT’s strategic planning and prioritization processes. As a key component of this study effort, the research team conducted three case studies, including a bike/ped project (Lions Park to Crabtree Creek Greenway; B172013), a bus project (CATS Intercounty Express Bus Connector Expansion; T171770), and a highways project (Bypass of Ahoskie, H090055).
In conjunction with this report, the research team has produced a GIS Web Tool and a Workbook Tool that work in tandem to account for physical health, air quality, and equity benefits or costs associated with prospective transportation projects in North Carolina.
