Description

Ensuring transportation investments are equitable across different populations and travel modes is a priority for many agencies, yet existing tools often make these assessments difficult, especially for smaller and resource-constrained organizations. To address this gap, this report provides the findings of Phase II of our study on reviewing and developing transportation equity metrics. The Phase I project investigated transit equity metrics and provided recommendations on advancements in quantitative methods. Building on Phase I recommendations, this study investigates low-cost methods for comparing the equity between auto (roadway) and transit performance or investments for low resource transportation agencies. A literature review revealed that many metrics developed for everyday use are mode-specific, making cross-modal comparisons difficult. Others are too costly or data-heavy for smaller agencies to use. One method used in San Joaquin County, California allows for inexpensive analysis of transportation agency investments across several equity dimensions, including income, race/ethnicity, vehicle availability, and the presence of children in the household. We used these metrics and the San Joaquin method to evaluate 17 regional transportation plans from California metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and regional transportation planning agencies, finding that (1) transit/non-motorized spending was the most equitable in regions with large urban centers; (2) transit/non-motorized spending was often highest compared to roadway/auto spending for disadvantaged groups; (3) nondisadvantaged group spending typically favors roadway auto travel in most areas of the state; and (4) analysis is best for large urban areas using Census Public Use Microdata Sample data, but due to small sample sizes, it is often best to use Census Transportation Planning Package data instead. This project indicates that simple, low-cost approaches can produce actionable equity insights and offer a viable path for agencies that cannot employ complex or data-heavy tools, while also highlighting future opportunities to standardize and strengthen equity analyses across the state.

Publication Date

3-27-2026

Publication Type

Report

Topic

Planning and Policy

Digital Object Identifier

10.31979/mti.2026.2420

MTI Project

2420

Keywords

Railway infrastructure, Transportation equity, Multimodal transportation, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Census, Accessibility

Disciplines

Economic Policy | Infrastructure | Transportation

Additional Files
2420-RB-Ferrell-Multimodal-Equity-Resource-Challenged-MPOs.pdf (1076 kB)
Research Brief
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