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 Journey-to-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.
Journal of Public Transportation
16(1):123-152
