California Launches New Transportation Equity Tool

The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and Caltrans released a new tool to aid in the state's work towards addressing the inequitable distribution of transportation benefits and burdens. Called the Transportation Equity Index (EQI), the tool is similar to the state's existing CalEnviroScreen, which identifies areas that suffer unduly from economic and pollution burdens.

However, unlike CalEnviroScreen, the EQI focuses solely on transportation. Its maps show traffic volumes and traffic proximity to communities - particularly truck traffic - as well as crash rates. It also maps out how easily residents can access destinations via transit, biking, and walking. There is another layer to the maps showing household income and tribal status. These three "screens" combine to show where in the state, in areas as small as census blocks, transportation burdens are highest.