Maintaining Key Services While Retaining Core Values
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2013
Subject Area
mode - bus, place - north america, policy - equity, planning - service rationalisation
Keywords
key services, core values, New York, service rationalization imitiatives, equity, environmental justice
Abstract
In a recession, transit agencies aim to provide key services while retaining national core values. When making service changes, federal funding recipients are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin and must not place undue burden on Environmental Justice (EJ) populations. To ensure compliance, New York City Transit developed analytical methodologies to identify impacts for the 50 proposed service rationalization initiatives, allowing for proactive mitigation. For 38 routes with span changes, load factor analysis across demographic and income categories (during periods of service elimination) demonstrated that impacts were equitably shared. For route changes, impacts were measured using shortest-path trip time and cost analysis using Census Transportation Planning Package Journeyto- Work data. The “M” and “V” Train modifications and the Co-op City bus restructuring illustrate package analysis of complex service changes, capturing mitigating effects of adjacent route restructurings. These service changes reduced costs while ensuring that Title VI/EJ communities were not disproportionately affected. After extensive EJ work and community outreach, the proposed changes were implemented in June 2010.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by the Journal of Public Transportation, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Wang, T., Lu, A., & Reddy, A. (2013). Maintaining Key Services While Retaining Core Values: NYC Transit’s Environmental Justice Strategies. Journal of Public Transportation, Vol. 16, (1), pp 123-152.
