7 – Title VI and Environmental Justice

Both federal and state legislation require that the transportation planning process and outcome are fair, equitable, and non-discriminatory. On December 14, 2012, the GBNRTC approved the Transportation Equity Statement and Title VI Plan. The document contains written procedures that demonstrate the GBNRTC's commitment to ensuring nondiscrimination based on grounds of race, color, sex, age, disability or national origin, within any of its activities, programs, or projects as required by federal non-discrimination statutes, regulations, and orders. Compliance with such regulations is demonstrated through annual planning process certification. For more information on the GBNRTC’s Environmental Justice activities visit the GBNRTC Web site EJ page at:

http://www.gbnrtc.org/planning/environmental-justice/

As one of three defined objectives contained within the Transportation Equity Statement and Title VI Plan, the GBNRTC uses Geographic Information Systems and other tools and data sources to determine the needs of traditionally underserved communities and to assess how regional transportation programs and plans impact different population groups in the region.

Equity Analysis of TIP Projects

It is important to note that all TIP projects cannot be mapped. Some projects that could do not have a geographic reference (location). These may include:

  • Funding Blocks – Specific projects are typically “broken out” of preservation/maintenance funding blocks after the third year of the TIP when a fresh analysis of current asset conditions takes place. Because of this, it is not known where these future projects will be located at the time of TIP publication.

  • Transit Projects – Most transit projects focus on maintaining or replacing assets such as bus stops, busses and LRRT cars. It is often difficult to know which assets will be replaced in the lifetime of the TIP. In addition, some assets (busses and vans) may be used for multiple routes. Because of these factors, determining specific geographic locations of all transit projects is not possible.

Communities of Concern

The criteria used to identify location and concentrations of Communities of Concern (COC) included the following 5-Year American Community Survey 2015-2019 population groups above the defined regional threshold (average) values for each census tract.

Race And Ethnicity

  • This population group includes the following racial categories: Black or African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Some Other Race, Two or More Races, and Hispanic or Latino.

  • Regional threshold: 22.65%

Youth Population Group Under 18

  • This population group includes the total population of those under 18 years.

  • Regional threshold: 20.36%

Elderly Population (75 & Older)

  • This population group includes the total population of those 75 years and older.

  • Regional threshold: 7.84%

Limited English Proficiency

  • This population group refers to anyone above the age of 5 who speaks English less than “very well,” as classified by the U.S. Census Bureau.

  • Regional threshold: 3.48%

Disabled Population

  • This population group includes total civilian noninstitutionalized population with a disability.

  • Regional threshold: 13.36%

Low Income Population (by Federal Poverty Levels)

  • This population group includes the total population for whom poverty is determined. Population with total income below the 200% Federal Poverty Levels (FPL). FPLs are used to determine eligibility for federal programs.

  • Regional threshold: 22.55%

Nation Of Birth, Origin Population

  • This population group represents the total population of those who are foreign born.

  • Regional threshold: 6.55%

Zero Car Households

  • This population group represents households with no vehicle available for use by household members.

  • Regional threshold: 12.56%

Female Single Parent Households

  • This population group represents female householder, with no husband present, family households, with children under 18 years of age.

  • Regional threshold: 7.02%

The following map shows all mappable (have a defined geographic location) TIP project locations overlaid on top of defined COC communities. Graduated shading represents and increasing number of defined COC categories that exceed regional thresholds (averages).

Communities of Concern Map with TIP Project Locations

Out of 297 census tracts in the GBNRTC Region, 94.28% of those have some level of concern. Census tract data is compiled from 2015-2019 5 Year American Communities Survey. The census data for variables used were combined into a single database and displayed showing census tracts that are above regional thresholds for that variable. These variables are then used as population groups to determine Communities of Concern (COCs).

A quarter mile buffer was used to determine which location-specific TIP projects were located in/near Communities of Concern.

Areas Of Persistent Poverty (APP)

An “Area of Persistent Poverty” is defined for the RAISE grant program by the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act. A project is located in an Area of Persistent Poverty for the RAISE grant program if:

  1. The County in which the project is located consistently had greater than or equal to 20 percent of the population living in poverty in all three of the following datasets: (a) the 1990 decennial census; (b) the 2000 decennial census; and (c) the 2019 Small Area Income Poverty Dataset; OR

  2. The Census Tract in which the project is located has a poverty rate of at least 20 percent as measured by the 2014-2018 5-year data series available from the American Community Survey of the Bureau of the Census; OR

  3. The project is located in any territory or possession of the United States. A quarter mile buffer was used to determine which location-specific TIP projects were located in/near an APP.

Out of 297 census tracts in the GBNRTC Region, 91 census tracts are classified as an APP (Areas of Persistent Poverty) area, representing 30.64% of the area. 71 TIP projects totaling $1,582M are located in defined APPs.

The following map shows all mappable (have a defined geographic location) TIP project locations overlaid on top of defined APP communities.

Areas of Persistent Poverty Map with TIP project Locations