By Ron Thaniel
March 1, 2004

Speaking before an audience of Washington transportation leaders brought together by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) on February 18, Alexandria (VA) Mayor Bill Euille said, "The cornerstone of the Conference's transportation agenda is the reauthorization of TEA-21 that invests in desperately needed job creation, and provides social justice and economic growth in America's cities."

Joining Euille on the panel was Kenneth House, Minority Staff Director, U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Highways and Transit Subcommittee and Anne Canby, President of the Surface Transportation Policy Project. Former Clinton Administration U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater moderated the panel with opening remarks provided by Congressman Elijah Cummings (MD).

Welcoming the participants and audience was Conference of Minority Transportation Officials Executive Director Julie A. Cunningham and American Public Transportation Association President William Millar.

The discussion focused on increasing transportation equity for minority communities. Acknowledging that the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) was landmark legislation bridging the gap in mobility for minority communities, the panel urged Members of Congress not to discount social and environmental concerns in their search for revenue options to grow the transportation program in the reauthorization of TEA-21.

Euille told the audience, "Transportation is an economic stimulus. It creates jobs and helps ensure that America's cities thrive."

"Yet federal and state transportation policies continue to favor building suburban and rural highways over public transportation investment in our cities. The SUV over the bus," said Euille.

Furthermore Euille said "this failed policy undermines economic opportunities including employment and housing that are possible with public transportation investment in cities."

Moving To Equity: Addressing Inequitable Effects of Transportation Policies on Minorities

A report released in 2003 jointly by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University and the Center for Community Change, Moving To Equity: Addressing Inequitable Effects of Transportation Policies on Minorities, framed the policy forum discussion by highlighting that "scant attention has been paid to the significant social and economic effects that federal and state transportation policies can have on low-income and minority communities."

"Moving to Equity" concludes that transportation policies have inequitable effects on the ability of low-income individuals and minorities to gain access economic and social opportunities.

The report points out that transportation policies play a significant role in encouraging and reinforcing residential segregation; restricting access to employment and other economic opportunities, housing, and education; and causing certain health disparities.

Highlights from the Report

Demographic Realities and Dependency on Public Transit

Greater dependency on public transit makes low-income and minority communities more susceptible to the negative effects of governmental financial and political support of highway systems over public transportation needs.

The vast majority of Americans rely on cars to meet their transportation needs, but minorities are less likely to own a car. Only 7 percent of white households own no cars whereas 24 percent of African American households, 17 percent of Latino Households, and 13 percent of Asian households own no cars. In urban areas, African Americans and Latinos comprise 54 percent of public transportation users.

Transportation Costs and Inequities

Transportation policies encouraging travel by car and highway development have an inequitable effect on the finances of minority and low-income individuals with those in the lowest fifth of income earners spending 36 percent of their household budget on transportation compared with those in the highest fifth income spending 14 percent

Barriers in the Transportation Planning Process

Language barriers diminish social and economic opportunities by limiting a person's ability to travel, such as by preventing a person from obtaining a drivers' license.

State Departments of Transportation and Metropolitan Planning Organizations are responsible for transportation solutions that achieve system efficiency, mobility, and access while addressing environmental and social concerns. Currently, there are no effective mechanisms to ensure their compliance with requirements for outreach to minority and low-income communities.

Pulling the data in the report and looking for answers to improve transportation access to for minority and underserved communities Euille reinforced the Conference of Mayors position the that cities and their metro regions are in the best position to direct transportation funding to where it is needed most not states.

Euille tells the audience not to forget social and environmental issues in the dominating issue of increasing transportation funding.