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Critical Issues in Transportation for 2024 and Beyond (2024) / Chapter Skim
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Promoting Equity and Inclusion
Pages 28-30

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From page 28...
... Societal Goals Promoting Equity and Inclusion History has shown that transportation infrastructure can exacerbate inequalities by displacing and isolating people,102,103 concentrating emissions and pollution in certain areas,104,105,106 and causing harm to property and businesses.107 At the same time, transportation has helped to improve some societal disparities -- for example, by better connecting residential areas with employment, education, and health care, though more remains to be done. These disparities continue to exist across multiple dimensions, including gender and age, but especially across race and income.
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From page 29...
... Transportation's importance for providing access to opportunities is a well-studied area, especially for access to work, but also for access to quality education and health care, and access to a reliable vehicle remains one of the largest determinants of an individual or household's access to opportunities.115,116,117 While this research indicates that shortcomings in transportation are seldom the sole cause of poor access, studies also suggest that improvements in transportation, including increased access to private vehicles, can play a meaningful role in helping to address these problems.118,119,120 This access may come via increased vehicle ownership, programs to reduce insurance and maintenance costs, availability of car-share and car rental services, or other opportunities tailored to particular places. More research to understand and document how transportation affects all individuals' access to opportunities, particularly for people of color, is essential for designing and implementing ameliorating policies.
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From page 30...
... costs of driving, and policies to broaden access to driver licensing also exist.135 The IRA and the IIJA also include policies intended to increase access to used electric vehicles through tax credits for vehicle purchase, and targeted funding for charging infrastructure in low-income areas. The California Air Resources Board provides additional assistance to low-income households to purchase zero-emissions vehicles.136 The effectiveness, including costeffectiveness, of these many programs in filling mobility gaps remains an important area for further research.
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Key Terms

  • transportation planning
  • transit service
  • mobility options
  • transportation agencies
  • measuring mobility

  • available transportation
  • transportation affects
  • local transportation
  • equitable transportation
  • criticizing transportation

  • regional transportation
  • transportation plans
  • improved transportation
  • accessing transportation
  • transportation options

  • transportation institutions
  • increased vehicle
  • transportation networks
  • lack access
  • largest determinants

  • including increased
  • gender bias
  • increased access
  • charging infrastructure
  • improve automobile

  • measuring equity
  • project selection
  • electric vehicles
  • minimize future
  • miles traveled


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