The expansion of highways, public transportation, and other surface transportation systems in the U.S. has produced considerable safety, mobility, and accessibility benefits, but these gains do not reach all communities and populations equally. Many laws and policies over the past several decades have aimed to remedy and prevent inequities, and recent federal legislation, executive orders, and actions from the U.S. Department of Transportation continue to elevate the importance of equity in transportation. 

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine analyzes USDOT’s competitive grant programs, which provide funds for transportation projects on a competitive basis, and examines how they could better support and spur equity-oriented transportation planning and decision-making. USDOT’s competitive grant programs collectively account for one-third of total federal assistance for surface transportation. 

Among the report’s recommendations are that USDOT should: 

• Identify and eliminate barriers to participation that may make grant processes harder or more costly for eligible but under-resourced applicants. 
• Include equity measures in performance evaluations following grant distributions. 
• Prioritize community-focused and community-generated transportation project proposals. 
• Use equity principles to guide proposal evaluation. 

• Identify and eliminate barriers to participation that may make grant processes harder or more costly for eligible but under-resourced applicants. 
• Include equity measures in performance evaluations following grant distributions. 
• Prioritize community-focused and community-generated transportation project proposals. 
• Use equity principles to guide proposal evaluation. 

In 2024, the National Academies will begin the first of two related studies. They will focus on equity metrics and analytic tools that can be used by states, local governments, and metropolitan planning organizations for planning and prioritizing surface transportation investments. 

DETAILS:  
Elevating Equity in Transportation Decision-Making: Recommendations for Federal Competitive Grant Programs is available for immediate release. Media inquiries should be directed to the Office of News and Public Information at tel. 202-334-2138 or email news@nas.edu.