Introduction

The Regional Equity process was established to ensure that environmental justice is incorporated into all of the MPO’s transportation planning efforts. The MPO is committed to taking into account in its decision-making the views of historically underserved constituencies, including communities of color and low-income residents. Building on the foundation of previous outreach and analysis of the transportation needs of low-income and minority populations in the Boston region, and working with previous Environmental Justice Committees, the Boston Region MPO conducted extensive work and provided inputs for a number of federally required documents, including the 2000–2025 Regional Transportation Plan (Plan), the 2000–2025 Plan Addendum and Update, the 2004–2025 Transportation Plan, the Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs), and Unified Work Programs (UPWPs).

Initially, the MPO, in consultation with its first Environmental Justice Committee (which was an ad hoc committee), developed a definition of environmental justice (see below), and used performance measures on a project-specific basis for the evaluation of transit mobility and highway impacts. Working with a second, reorganized Environmental Justice Committee, the MPO identified 17 communities of concern that have high proportions of low-income and minority residents. Recently, the MPO extended its outreach to include social service organizations that serve communities of concern in the region, and it has participated in numerous forums related to environmental justice.

As a matter of policy and equity, the MPO is working to ensure that environmental justice is incorporated into all of its transportation planning efforts, including the development of the new JOURNEY TO 2030 Transportation Plan. The process is designed to encourage and facilitate involvement in MPO planning and decision-making processes.

Environmental Justice Definition

The following definition of environmental justice has been adopted by the Boston Region MPO.

Environmental justice requires the MPO to

• Examine the allocation of benefits and burdens, currently and in the planned future,
• Ensure that minority and low-income communities are treated equitably in the provision of transportation services and projects, and
• Provide full participation for minority and low-income communities to advise the MPO during its planning and decision-making process.

The examination of environmental justice will include consideration of patterns of capital investment and allocation that have contributed to present conditions and that inform current and future MPO decisions.