Federal civil rights and environmental justice (EJ) mandates require transit agencies to provide service without racial or income discrimination and to ensure meaningful access by individuals with limited English proficiency. EJ research generally focuses on long-range planning and capital investment decision making. However, for operating agencies, equity in scheduling, service planning, and tactical service delivery operations is critical to compliance with Title VI legislation and FTA Circular C4702.1A. In 2009, New York City Transit (NYCT) designed a service reductions package in response to the economic downturn. EJ considerations were integral to its planning. The use of ridership performance criteria for route selection resulted in fewer impacts on routes with heavily minority or low-income populations. Quantitative analysis ensured that protected demographics were not significantly adversely affected by proposed service rationalizations. Route and frequency modifications and service span changes were evaluated with statistical t-tests during programming stages, resulting in proposals sensitive to equity concerns. Operationally, NYCT actively monitors service using U.S. census, survey, and routine agency data. The t-test and the chi-square test explicitly demonstrate racial and income equity in all aspects of agency operations on the basis of service standards and policies. As an example, t-tests compared the observed load factors with published guidelines; no significant differences in service delivery between demographic groups were found.
Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board
2163(2163)
DOI:10.3141/2163-05
