APTA Report Documents Transit Equity Efforts

A new report from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) highlights the efforts transit agencies around the country are making to increase equity and provide effective transit service to the low-income households that often depend on it the most.

According to an article by Dan Zukowski in Smart Cities Dive, “The report summarizes equity-related actions from 75 organizations and takes an in-depth look at efforts by 11 transit agencies.”

Some agencies, like the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, have created positions specifically dedicated to addressing equity. “The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority requires an equity analysis for all proposed fare changes and major service changes,” while the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) created an equity dashboard to increase transparency and appraise the public of its efforts.

In some cases, transit agencies are expanding their scope to support transit-oriented development with affordable housing and multimodal infrastructure near their stations. “Other agencies are getting directly involved with the communities they serve to address homelessness. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority is partnering with a homeless shelter to provide individual-level resources. The Lane Transit District in Eugene, Oregon, partnered with the city to find vacant land the transit agency owned that could be used as safe sleep areas for people experiencing homelessness,” Zukowski adds.

The APTA report offers three recommendations for transit agencies seeking to improve equity: develop an equity mission statement to guide goals and priorities; ensure the necessary internal resources to consider equity during all processes; and build community through initiatives that provide tangible benefits to the agency’s constituent communities.