Transportation Equity and Community Engagement

The Office of Transportation Equity and Community Engagement (OTECE) leads the division in guidance, tools, and training for conducting equitable engagement for Caltrans Plans and Projects. OTECE works to breakdown silos from planning to project delivery to target early, continuous, and meaningful engagement that will be incorporated into the transportation planning and project development processes.

OTECE coordinate and collaborate with various stakeholders and Caltrans’ Districts and Divisions to produce comprehensive guidance, tools, and training to conduct equitable transportation and health related decisions.

The EEH Branch is leading the division with guidance, tools, and training regarding to equitable policies and practices, community engagement throughout the planning and project delivery process, and health considerations to the transportation planning process.

If you need assistance on items relating to equity, engagement, and/or health, please contact the EEH Branch at eeh@dot.ca.gov.

Caltrans Planning and Modal Programs, Project Delivery, and External Affairs are working together to improve engagement efforts across the Department. Headquarters Division of Transportation Planning, Office of Transportation Equity & Community Engagement is leading this new approach by creating guidance, tools, and training for staff statewide, but also supporting the twelve new District Community Engagement Coordinators. District Community Engagement Coordinators are a District level Subject Matter Expert resource to answer questions and provide guidance on engagement from planning through project delivery. The Community Engagement Coordinator is leading the design and development of the district's approach for early and continuous engagement by:

  • Working across Caltrans functions
  • Leading development of their District Community Engagement Playbook
  • Being the Caltrans Engagement Portal Point-of-Contact
  • Building capacity by strategizing on when to create Public Engagement Plans (PEPs) and providing guidance depending on the type of project and needs of the community
  • Working proactively to help ensure engagement resources are identified in PIDs so that they will be available in the subsequent project phases

The Caltrans Engagement Portal will be a web-based application to collect, store, categorize, track, measure, retrieve, and respond to public comments on Caltrans projects from planning through construction.

Caltrans' Reconnecting Communities Program centers on equitable community engagement and relationship building to facilitate a way for affected communities to express how they are burdened by highway facilities, identify their need for reconnection and improved access, and develop transformational strategies and connectivity solutions.

Visit this page here for more information about the program and submit questions to CRCP@dot.ca.gov.isit this page here for more information about the program and submit questions to CRCP@dot.ca.gov. Visit this page here for more information about the program and submit questions to CRCP@dot.ca.gov.

Office Contacts

Transportation Equity and Community Engagement
Gabriel Corley, Office Chief

Equity, Engagement, and Health Branch
Kiranjit Parmar, Branch Chief

Statewide Community Engagement Program
Sara Rosen, Program Manager

Caltrans Engagement Portal Program
Emily Abrahams, Program Manager

Reconnecting Communities Program
Jimmy Tran, Program Manager