Item Coversheet

Agenda Item 3.1.9

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TRANSPORTATION AGENCY FOR MONTEREY COUNTY
Memorandum
To: 

Board of Directors

From:

Debra L. Hale, Executive Director

Meeting Date:

August 25, 2021

Subject:

Racial Equity Program Adoption

RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a Racial Equity Program for the Transportation Agency.
SUMMARY:
The proposed Program integrates specific racial equity-based activities into three Transportation Agency activity areas:  funding, public outreach and hiring.  At the June 2021 meeting, the Board reviewed and commented on the draft program. Staff has incorporated Board comments into the final version.  
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Some proposals would involve a repurposing of existing project funding. Activities in the program, such as the adoption of a regional disadvantaged community definition, could bring additional matching funds to communities that qualify under state rules.
DISCUSSION:

In November 2021, Agency staff participated in a three-part training with the County of Monterey's Civil Rights Office. The training provided data that shows that race is a leading determinant of negative economic outcomes in a community, often due to underinvestment or historical bias.  In addition, the Monterey County Health Department issued a report that details some of the correlations between racially diverse populations and poor health outcomes (including reduced biking and walking) that exist in communities across Monterey County. While the Transportation Agency includes equity as a policy goal in its Regional Transportation Plan and several of its funding programs, equity is evaluated primarily in terms of geographic equity.  Given the impact that low incomes and in some cases historic disinvestment has had in certain communities, expansion of equity metrics to include racial diversity is worth considering in the Agency's programs.

 

The County of Monterey's Civil Rights Office provides a racial equity toolkit to help agencies to look at various programs to determine how to improve outcomes for diverse racial groups.  TAMC staff utilized the toolkit to evaluate how the Agency can better improve the transportation system in communities that have experienced historical underinvestment, and proposed a Racial Equity Program for the Agency.  

 

The Racial Equity Program (attached) has three areas of focus:  funding, public outreach and hiring. Within each area, there is a racial equity goal and action items for meeting that goal.  The equity goals are as follows:

 

  • Funding:  Provide an equitable share of transportation investments to underserved, racially-diverse communities to improve their health, safety, and quality of life.

 

  • Hiring:  Hire to reflect the diversity of the Monterey County community in order to increase TAMC’s success as an agency. 

 

  • Public Outreach:  Design and implement public outreach and engagement that is broadly accessible and provides means for all to participate.

 

The TAMC Board reviewed the draft Racial Equity program in June, 2021 and made suggestions for improvement. The Program, revised per these comments, is attached for Board adoption.

ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Racial Equity Program