All:
My apologies for opening such a can of worms with my reply
regarding FHWA/FTA reviews of MPO Benefits & Burdens analysis documents.
Many of you are aware of these issues, but I’d like to address some questions
that have arisen, if I may…
‘Environmental Justice’ traces many of its origins
to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which says that “No person
in the United States shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin be
excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any program receiving Federal financial assistance.”
In 1994, then-President Clinton issued Executive Order 12898
that extends those rights by mandating that “Each Federal agency shall
make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by addressing, as
appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental
effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and
low-income populations.”
Furthermore, through various pieces of legislation and
legislative guidance, the spirit and intent of Environmental
Justice—if not the letter of the law--has been extended to other groups
such as the elderly, those with Limited English Proficiency and those with
disabilities (see the Americans with Disabilities Act). These issues are
particularly pronounced in the transportation realm in that, through highway,
transit, pedestrian and all other modes, movement affects ALL persons from ALL
walks of life. We, as transportation practitioners, need to ensure that we
are addressing these persons (note that the legislation specifically says “persons”
and “populations”, not “citizens”) in our planning and
programming.
The question regarding vehicle ownership as a “protected
class” under E.J. is interesting. While vehicle ownership for most
of us is a choice, those with limited income and/or certain disabilities are, by
virtue of their situations, precluded from vehicle ownership. For them,
it is not a choice. In our MPO and, I suspect many MPO’s,
overlaying a map of low-income households with a map of zero-car households
would show striking similarities. Very walkable and/or expensive cities
like New York and Philadelphia have a wealth of transportation options that allow
many residents a car-free lifestyle. Complete transit systems,
ZipCar-like institutions, mixed use development (and redevelopment) all work in
conjunction with each other to allow car-free CHOICES for residents. In
many smaller cities, that lifestyle is not a choice but a function of
circumstance.
Sorry for the rant; please don’t exorcise me from this
list. The discussion is inspiring and useful! Back to DATA
crunching…
Michael D. Golembiewski
Transportation Modeler
BERKS COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
633 Court Street FL 14
Reading, PA 19601
Ph: 610 478-6300 ext 6304
Fax: 610 478-6316
e-mail: mgolembiewski@countyofberks.com
Web: http://www.co.berks.pa.us/dept/planning
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