Transportation Equity

The RTC is developing a Transportation Equity Action Plan to address historic and existing inequities and identify ways that the transportation system in Santa Cruz County can be improved to offer reliable, healthy, safe, and multimodal choices that are equitable and affordable to all users.

Why is RTC preparing an Equity Action Plan?

Our multimodal transportation system of streets, roads and highways, buses, bike lanes, sidewalks, and other transportation facilities and services connect us to opportunities, enrichment, and each other. While transportation facilities and services can open doors, shatter barriers, and foster community growth, a lack of transportation facilities and services can also serve as barriers to accessing jobs, health care, food, recreation, families, schools, and our communities. Transportation conditions can create inequitable outcomes for people based on race, income, gender, ability, sexuality, immigration status, and other identities and experiences (“equity priority communities”). These communities, sometimes referred to as “disadvantaged,” “priority populations,” “historically marginalized,” “underserved,” and/or “communities of concern” oftentimes experience more crashes, face longer commutes to jobs and school, have fewer choices for how to get where they need to go, and have higher health risks.

What will be in the Plan?

The Equity Action Plan will include:

• An equity-focused analysis of the existing and planned transportation network
• Policies to address historic and existing inequities
• Public outreach tools to proactively engage equity priority communities in decisions about highway, transit, local street and road, bike, walking, carpool, and other transportation services and facilities
• The establishment of a Transportation Equity Workgroup