The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced today a Request for Information (RFI) to receive input from the public on the data and assessment tools available to assess transportation equity. 

“Access to transportation touches every part of American lives and communities and helps make the American Dream possible,” said USDOT Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology and Chief Science Officer Dr. Robert Hampshire. “This request for information will help us assess the most robust data sets and methodologies available for us to measure our progress toward making the nation’s transportation systems more equitable.”

Equitable access to transportation is a civil right, and this RFI is one action that USDOT is taking in response to Executive Order (EO) 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,” which directs the Federal Government to pursue a comprehensive approach to advance equity. The EO also requires that each agency conduct an equity assessment of certain high-priority, high-impact agency programs, policies, and processes to be delivered to the Domestic Policy Council by August 8, 2021. The EO calls for a holistic approach to addressing equity and systemic barriers to assessing benefits and opportunities.

Through this RFI, USDOT seeks information and recommendations in the field of transportation equity from the public, including public agencies, academics involved in the study of equity in transportation decision-making, advocacy, and not-for-profit institutions working in the transportation sector or the field of equity, and State, local, Tribal, and territorial stakeholders.

The Department will use the responses it receives to inform its approach as it expands the use of data and equity-assessment methods to advance transportation equity goals.

The RFI closes on June 24, 2021.