Access to Reliable & Safe Transportation

Objective

Historically, communities of color and people living in low-income neighborhoods are less likely to own a vehicle. These communities and people living in rural areas are less likely to have access to convenient public transit and safe bicycle and pedestrian networks and are more vulnerable to pedestrian crashes. Additionally, many police departments lack comprehensive methods for accurately recording and reporting pedestrian and bicycle crash data.

Do your transportation networks prioritize safe, easy, and convenient access to public transit and multi-modal transportation networks for everyone in your locality, particularly those without access to a vehicle? Do low and moderate income neighborhoods have access to active transportation networks for walking and biking?

Examples of Data Needed for Equitable Strategy Development (Qualitative and Quantitative)

  • Do you know where people live who are most likely to lack access to a reliable vehicle?
  • Do you have complete GIS data showing sidewalk and pedestrian networks?
  • Do you have complete GIS data showing designated bicycle routes, including multi-use trails and marked bike lanes?
  • Do you have complete information on police reports of bicycle and pedestrian crashes?
  • Are you using crash data to prioritize street and intersection redesign?
  • Are you designing transit and micro transit routes using data showing where the most vulnerable populations (rural and urban) in your community need to go?

Examples of Equity-Based Municipal Strategies

Public Transit:

  • Employ progressive pricing for public transit
  • Prioritize transit routes serving low-income communities
  • Plan for transit routes connecting housing with economic/ job centers
  • Provide micro transit options (e.g., on-demand shuttles) for low-income rural communities

Active Transportation:

  • Provide/expand access for active transportation and micro-mobility options such as biking share/bike trails, scooters, etc.
  • Re-connect communities impacted/bisected by past highway projects
  • Implement a Complete Streets policy to prioritize transportation modes for people outside of vehicles

Safety:

  • Prioritize pedestrian safety improvements in low-income communities
  • Ensure community-based climate resiliency plans and evacuation strategies include public transportation
  • Prioritize access to transit for those who do not have access to a vehicle
  • Adopt a Vision Zero policy and implementation plan to address high-injury networks and problematic intersections.

Responsible Local Agency or Department

  • Transportation, Streets
  • Public Works
  • Planning & Community Development

Opportunities

  • New funding from federal government under IRA for EV charging
  • Review DOT and County road expansion wish lists; encourage scoring systems that channel funding toward fix-it-first, transit expansion, transit electrification
  • Support MPOs
  • Advocate for community control of charging infrastructure

Obstacles

  • PSC regulations
  • State DOT has authority to continue investing funds in highway expansion, with its continued adverse effects on emissions goals and air quality impacts on low-income and BIPOC communities
  • Communities in WI are precluded from establishing regional transportation agencies (RTAs) by the legislature
  • Currently, the only funding allocated by WisDOT for bike/ped infrastructure comes from federal TAP (Transportation Alternatives Program), which is competitive.
  • Wisconsin removed Complete Streets language from the administrative code in 2015. There are no state standards for Complete Streets.

Municipal Examples

  • Madison

Resources and Contacts for Technical & Policy Support