Caltrans Transportation Equity Index (EQI)
Background
As stated in the Caltrans Equity Statement, the California Department of Transportation acknowledges that communities of color and under-served communities experienced fewer benefits and a greater share of negative impacts associated with our state's transportation system. Some of these disparities reflect a history of transportation decision-making, policy, processes, planning, design, and construction that "quite literally put-up barriers, divided communities, and amplified racial inequities, particularly in our Black and Brown neighborhoods." Many tools exist to evaluate various factors that potentially burden communities, but these tools typically consider a wide range of factors and aren’t specifically focused on transportation.
Development
Faced with the need to better define equity problems and solutions, Caltrans began developing the EQI in 2020. The Department has held numerous public and internal discussions covering indicators, thresholds, geographies, and other issues related to the tool. The beta version is still under development and subject to additional revisions, but the conversation is turning from the tool’s construction of the tool to its deployment. The Department plans to release the 1.0 version of the tool in mid-2023 and to focus on use cases through the rest of the year.
Events
| Date | Event Title | Event Details |
|---|---|---|
| March 28, 2023
11 am - 12 pm |
Information Session 2: Beta Update |
This session will provide an update on what developments have been made since the September preview of the tool. Call-In Number: +1-408-418-9388 Access Code: 2493 304 9131 |
| April 25, 2023
11 am - 12 pm |
Information Session 3: Technical Q&A | This session will focus on answering technical and methodological questions about the tool (e.g., thresholds of significance, and post-processing calculations). |
| September 12, 2023
11 am - 12 pm |
Information Session 4: Use Case Presentations | This session will present draft use cases and answer clarifying questions about the potential application of the tool. |
| December 12, 2023
9 - 10 am |
Information Session 5: Use Case Q&A |
This session will solicit input about the use cases and answer clarifying questions about the application of the tool. |
| Date | Event Title | Event Details |
|---|---|---|
| March 10, 2023
1:40 - 3 pm |
UC Institute of Transportation Studies Seminar Series |
The UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies hosts weekly seminars during the academic year on pertinent transportation topics. Caltrans staff presented an overview of the tool and its potential application. |
| September 22, 2022
9 - 10 am |
Information Session 1: Introduction (EQI Beta) |
In this session, speakers addressed what the EQI is, data methodology, and use cases. |
CORE Menu
Contact Information
Have feedback or questions regarding the EQI?
EQI Documents & Resources
Transportation EQI Documentation