What's the issue with transportation?

Access to transportation impacts every aspect of our lives; from our ability to get to work, access healthcare, and educate our children. Reimagining the ways we think about roads, buses, and sidewalks is essential for addressing historical injustices and present-day inequities that include access to safe transportation in marginalized communities. Together, we can create transportation systems that serve as catalysts for broader societal change, and foster inclusivity, justice, and empowerment for all. 

Transportation Weekly Challenge: Get to Know Your Neighborhood with a Walk Audit

This audit can be as simple as taking a walk to assess how supportive your street is for walking. First, plan your route by using a map app or your own experience and neighborhood awareness. It is also important to conduct your walk audit during the day for the best visibility. Bring a walking buddy for your health and safety!  
 

While on your walk, reflect on some of the following: 

• Are there sidewalks? Are they in need of repair?  

• What about crosswalks? Curb cuts for accessibility? Crosswalk lights? 

• Do you notice bus stops? Are they in convenient places? 

• Does the neighborhood seem safe for young people to walk around? What about older adults? 

• Do you notice supportive services such as fire stations, or healthcare centers? 

• Do you notice healthy food options, or a lack of healthy food options? 

• Are there bike lanes? 

• Are there structures in place for speed control such as speed bumps or stop signs? 

For further information on walk audits, please check out this resource from the National Partnership for Safe Routes to School.  

Why do gender and race matter in transportation?

Transportation inequities have had tangible impacts on people's lives. In their recent report, Divided by Design, Smart Growth America recently highlighted the impacts of Atlanta’s interstate expansion in a case study.  Acknowledging consequences such as these allows us to collaborate on finding solutions. Strategies like Mayor Dickens’ recent announcement by executive order to establish new MARTA rail stations and expand the Bus Rapid Transit, or the construction of the Stitch can help increase access to economic opportunities and reconnect communities. 

Our neighborhoods, highways, railways, and bus routes all bear the marks of past and present discriminatory practices. The impact of redlining and urban renewal practices that allowed historically Black, Brown, and immigrant neighborhoods to be cleared for highway development is still felt today. We must shine a light on those whose labor made our current transportation system possible and the unrecognized contributions of those who fought for dignity and freedom for marginalized people on the move. 

Cars rule the road in the U.S., but let's zoom out a bit and talk about the inequities built into the other ways we get around. Biking, flying, and even walking come with disproportionate risks to marginalized people that can be life-altering. By acknowledging these barriers, we can act and build mobility solutions that are accessible, safe, and fair for everyone. 

According to statistics from the Mapping Police Violence database, 16% or 109 deaths by police in 2023 were traffic stops. This trend underscores the urgent need for systemic reform in the way law enforcement is conducted on our roadways.   

Transportation and Policy

One of the best ways to engage with transportation policy is to be involved in public engagement around planning future transportation and development projects. Below, we’ve highlighted a few upcoming engagement sessions that will affect local, regional, and federal transportation planning. 

What you can do. Attend one of the events below! Or attend another transportation planning engagement session for an ongoing project in your area. You can find out about these types of convenings and many other transportation related events by following transportation focused organizations in your area. 

• Plan A: The City of Atlanta Department of City Planning is currently engaged in updating its Comprehensive Plan, the plan meant to inform all future development in the city, including transportation. Public engagement sessions are currently happening all around Atlanta to gather feedback from interested parties. Learn More Here 

• The Stitch: This development project aims to reunite previously disconnected sections of Midtown that were separated after the construction of I-75/I85 by building a “cap” over the interstate. There are several upcoming community design sessions planned for the public. Learn More Here 

• Atlanta Regional Commission TIP Training Session: The Transportation Improvement Program guides the metro region’s future transportation improvement investment. This session will inform members of the public, consultants, elected officials and city staff how the transportation planning process works in the Atlanta region and how projects get added to the TIP. Learn More Here 

• U.S Department of Transportation Public Engagement Workshops: This series of workshops for transportation practitioners and community leaders working on transportation will feature education and discussion about equitable engagement in the planning process. An in-person session in Atlanta is scheduled for June as well as a virtual workshop. Learn More Here  

Deeper Dive into Transportation

• Learn more about current development projects that are helping to reconnect neighborhoods split apart by building urban highways. 

• This blog post highlights the differences in how people of different genders use transportation, and why it is important to plan for these differences. 

• This study by the Urban Institute highlights racial disparities in transportation access that lead to differences in economic access in 4 different U.S. Cities.  

• What would cities look like if they were designed by women? 

*some information in this e-mail is from YWCA USA and can be found at: https://justice.ywca.org/

Reviewing Transportation

This week, we invited you to learn about and reflect upon the history of our transportation systems. Transportation accessibility in America has historically impacted the lives of BIPOC (black, indigenous, and other people of color) individuals. YWCA Greater Atlanta believes that women and girls – and all people - deserve access to equitable and safe transportation within our communities and abroad. Implementation of current development projects, ensuring more safe transportation options for women and girls, and addressing the gender differences of accessible transportation and public policies are just some ways we may promote inclusivity of transportation within Georgia and abroad.

Until Justice Just Is, we will continue to fight for improved and equitable transportation for women and families.  

Download this YWCA USA fact sheet to read and share with friends and colleagues who would like to learn more!

This Week's Challenge: Get to Know Your Neighborhood with a Walk Audit

This week, you took time to venture out into your neighborhood and to reflect on how supportive your street was for walking. You were prompted to view how accessible your street may be, whether there are convenient bus stops, safety and/or hazard concerns, access to healthy food options, and even if supportive services like fire stations or healthcare centers are offered. We also discussed how gender and transportation can intersect within our communities and solutions we may implement to ensure transportation is equitable and inclusive for persons of color. 

As Until Justice Just Is concludes, we want to thank you for participating in this campaign. We recognize your support for our efforts to promote inclusivity, justice, and empowerment for all. We discussed several topics: Bodily Autonomy, Financial Empowerment, Gun Violence and Safety, and Transportation. While we understand that historical injustices from the past cannot be erased, we strongly believe that present-day inequities can be addressed to dismantle and discourage the perpetuation of these biases. We encourage you to continue the fight for racial justice in whatever capacity you can Until Justice Just Is.