Baltimore Region Environmental Justice and Transportation Project Summary and Phase II Proposal Marc

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Baltimore Region Environmental Justice and
Transportation Project Summary and
Phase II Proposal March 2006

• Morgan State University
• Baltimore Metropolitan Council
• Greater Baltimore Urban League
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

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The Baltimore Region Environmental Justice and
Transportation Project

• Federally-Funded Project to Develop a Tool Kit
  for Incorporating EJ Issues into Regional
  Transportation Planning Process
• Three Phase Project
• Phase I Community Issues Screen
• Phase II EJT Tool Kit
• Phase III Dissemination
• Phase I Complete, Phase II in Proposal

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Purpose of Project

• EJT a Critical Sensitive Issue
• Approaches to Date Have Been Ad Hoc
• Reactive vs. Proactive Comprehensive
• Desire for More Structure
• For planning professionals
• For transportation agencies
• For affected communities

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How Does Environmental Justice Intersect with
Transportation?

• Federal statues and regulations require projects
  and agencies receiving Federal funds to ensure
  that minority and low income communities are not
  discriminated against
• Presidential Executive Order 12898 (1994)
• US DOT Order 5610.2 on Environmental Justice
  (1997)
• Low-income and minority communities are
  historically underserved and disproportionately
  impacted by transportation systems and associated
  air quality

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What are Principal Impacts?

• Environmental
• Vehicle traffic, emissions, air pollution and
  health
• Visual noise impacts from construction
  operations
• Community/neighborhood disruption due to project
  siting or operations
• Equity
• Equal access to jobs, housing, health care, other
  opportunities
• Fairness in transportation funding service
  policies
• Material voice in planning and decision making

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EJT Requirements Responsibilities

• Ensuring populations are duly notified and
  effectively involved in all project phases
• Establishing adequate mechanisms to collect,
  analyze and use data in the transportation
  decision-making process
• Demonstrating good faith effort (GFE) to ensure
  that disproportionate adverse impacts are
  prevented, minimized or mitigated

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Whats Missing from EJ Process

• Systematic approach
• Proactive involvement of public
• Relevant performance indicators to link concerns
  with solutions
• Adequate documentation of process actions taken

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Phase I Community Outreach

• Project Activity
• Eight Listening Sessions (May/June 2004)
• Regional Community Dialogue (Nov 2004)
• Objectives
• Identify engage EJ community
• Elicit transportation-related EJ concerns
• Begin to gauge range and diversity of EJ-related
  issues in the Baltimore region and methods would
  need to address
• Initial priorities for action

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Major EJT Issues Identified

• Air Pollution and Congestion
• Access to Jobs
• Access to Health Care
• Bus Scheduling Service Policies
• Equity and Fairness in Funding
• Maintenance and Repair of Buses and Stop Areas
• Public Participation in Transportation Planning
• Access to Regional Transportation System
  Information

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Phase II -- Develop EJT Tool Kit

• Objectives
• Credible follow-up on Phase I concerns
• Effectively involve community
• Enhance sensitivity of analysis tools
• Identify appropriate institutional response
  structure

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Phase II Proposal Development Broadening of Team
Capabilities Resources
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Phase II Proposal Development

• Literature Review
• Validate need for EJT Toolkit approach
• Studies reviewed
• FHWA and FTA EJ Case Studies
• NCHRP projects focused on analytic tools
• Air pollution concentration/health impact studies
• Confirm that systematic planning guidance on
  Environmental Justice does not exist

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Framework for EJT Process
Regional Response Mechanism Triage Committee
Analysis and Evaluation Tools
Comprehensive Public Involvement
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Elements of the ProcessOutreach Mechanisms

• Continuous/routine sampling of issues concerns
• Engage minority low income stakeholders in
  planning process
• Provide information to educate, inform and
  understand tradeoffs
• Documentation for accountability and closure

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Elements of the ProcessAnalysis Evaluation
Techniques

• Appropriate definition of problem -- scope, time
  frame, stakeholders, accountability
• Identify measures of performance and outcome
• Assistance in selection of relevant analytic
  tools and data
• Importance of geographic targeting (GIS)
• Importance of clarifying tradeoffs

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Elements of the ProcessTriage Committee

• Objective body that reviews and seeks answers and
  solutions to critical EJ concerns
• Membership inclusive of all responsible agencies
• Goal is to avoid limitations of authority/vision
  of individual agency, e.g., regional MPO
• Involve community in assessment and resolution

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Phase II Approach

• Select one or more issues from Phase I for
  detailed study
• Empanel community representatives to work along
  with project study team
• Initiate Triage Committee
• Lead study work groups and Triage Committee
  through problem definition, analysis evaluation
• Develop EJT Toolkit in relation to project case
  study experience

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Overview of EJT Toolkit

• Two audiences
• Planning professionals transportation agencies
• EJ communities and advocacy groups
• Planning manual format
• Primer on EJ transportation issues
• National experience with EJT literature guide
• Public involvement strategies
• Analytic methods, assistance with selection
  application
• Case study examples
• Based on Baltimore examples used in project
• Interpretive guide as to why, how, and instead
  of

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Project Sponsor

• US Environmental Protection Agency
• Provide grant funding for development of Toolkit
• Ensure that process is community driven
• Ensure that transportation-related air quality
  and health impacts are addressed
• Federal Highway Administration (US DOT)
• Provide grant funding for enhancement of analytic
  tools
• Support analysis of Baltimore region issues
• Additional assistance to planners nationwide

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Project Team Member Roles

• Morgan State University
• Regional leader on issues affecting
  African-American community
• Share in Tool Kit Development Test EJ Case
  Study Applications
• Elevate EJ through curriculum to train future
  leaders
• Baltimore Metropolitan Council
• As MPO, regional forum for transportation
  planning and policy issues, leadership on
  transportation improvement priorities
• Lead on transportation and air quality modeling
  and data
• Greater Baltimore Urban League/EJB
• National organization concerned with economic
  advancement of minority and low-income
  communities
• Will coordinate meetings, act to disseminate
  findings nationally
• Johns Hopkins University/Bloomberg School
• Renowned university is actively involved in
  community affairs associated with development,
  pollution, health, equity
• Will lead pollution/exposure/health aspects of
  Toolkit development

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Anticipated Benefits to EJ Community

• Better understanding and appreciation of EJ
  issues and nature of systematic approach by
  political and technical leaders
• Improved opportunity to have a voice in planning
  and decision making at all levels
• Greater local visibility to EJ issues
• A move toward more realistic tools, data and
  analyses in addressing EJ questions
• Means for self-education and empowerment for EJ
  communities and their advocates