Equity Actions
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has committed to the following actions as part of our Equity Action Plan. These represent a snapshot of some of the actions the Department is taking to advance equity. Visit our Equity Updates page for an overview of recent accomplishments.
USDOT ACTIONS TO ADVANCE EQUITY
| Focus Area | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Wealth Creation | Promote environmental justice “do no harm” policy and capacity building framework through DOT funding programs and technical assistance. | December 2023 |
| Wealth Creation | Promote best practices, case studies, and other resources to diversify the transportation sector construction workforce. | December 2023 |
| Wealth Creation | Strengthen partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and MSIs through the Pathways to Entrepreneurship and Women in Transportation Internship to prepare for specific industries such as trucking. | September 2024 |
| Wealth Creation | Finalize and implement the DBE/ACDBE final rule and support funding recipients with implementation through strategic communications and targeted technical assistance support. | Ongoing |
| Wealth Creation | Expand DOT's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) programming and resources focused on federally assisted contracts, including a focus on access to capital and development of internal and external tools. | September 2025 |
| Power of Community | Establish Department-wide monitoring of recipient compliance with Title VI and meaningful public participation obligations. | December 2023 |
| Power of Community | Collect Title VI and Community Participation Plans (CPPs) from all major airports. | December 2023 |
| Power of Community | Update DOT EJ Order and tools to support strengthening public involvement and EJ community protection. | February 2024 |
| Power of Community | Release Guide on Equity Screening in the Transportation Planning Process, with accompanying training and support for digitizing S/TIPs | June 2024 |
| Power of Community | Implement at least three public engagement workshops to promote practices for effective and equitable public engagement in the transportation process | September 2024 |
| Power of Community | Promote resources available for meaningful public involvement including long-term public community engagement and partnerships | Ongoing |
| Proactive Intervention, Planning, and Capacity Building | Provide hands-on technical assistance and planning grants to enable disadvantaged and under-resourced communities to advance infrastructure projects that will help them thrive. | Ongoing |
| Proactive Intervention, Planning, and Capacity Building | Provide technical assistance for grantees and potential grantees under the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Program through the Reconnecting Communities Institute (RCI). | October 2023 |
| Proactive Intervention, Planning, and Capacity Building | Publish a Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) tool for grant applicants to use when applying for DOT grant opportunities with a BCA requirement. | December 2023 |
| Proactive Intervention, Planning, and Capacity Building | Conduct quarterly DOT Navigator webinars to share information on successful grant writing strategies and spotlight new resources to assist those considering applying for grants. | Ongoing |
| Proactive Intervention, Planning, and Capacity Building | Develop a methodology to calculate the distribution of burdens (in addition to benefits) for Justice40 covered programs. | September 2024 |
| Proactive Intervention, Planning, and Capacity Building | Reduce burdens for low-capacity communities through streamlined grant application processes and match flexibility. | Ongoing |
| Proactive Intervention, Planning, and Capacity Building | Develop a resource to track funding investment and technical assistance in rural communities. | December 2025 |
| Expanding Access | Promote safety strategies targeted to reducing gender disparities in the transit space, including launching a study on the travel needs of women on public transit. | April 2024 |
| Expanding Access | Complete DOT-led rulemakings on Public Rights-of-Way, Equitable Access to Transit Facilities, and Transportation for Individuals with Disabilities—Adoption of Accessibility Standards for Buses and Vans. | July 2024 |
| Expanding Access | Improve understanding of pedestrian and transit access, system quality, and performance to better support State DOT progress eliminating legacy inaccessible infrastructure. | September 2024 |
| Expanding Access | Expand upon the current research and understanding of individual and household transportation cost, travel time, trips not taken, accessibility, and access to key resources across demographics. | September 2024 |
| Expanding Access | Empower transportation professionals to eliminate disparities in roadway fatalities and serious injuries by building knowledge and capacity for the equitable implementation of a Safe System Approach. | September 2024 |
| Expanding Access | Update the DOT ETC Explorer tool, including system condition and access data, to help States and communities advance projects that benefit underserved communities. | September 2024 |
| Expanding Access | Complete research to investigate the feasibility of enabling passengers to stay in their personal wheelchairs while travelling on commercial aircraft. | December 2025 |
| Expanding Access | Launch enhanced transportation insecurity measure as part of a transportation disadvantage index. | December 2027 |
| Institutionalizing Equity | Launch internal community of practice to drive adoption of meaningful public involvement practices across the DOT workforce. | October 2023 |
| Institutionalizing Equity | Kick off annual Equity Action Plan update process in consultation with the public. | March 2024 |
| Institutionalizing Equity | Receive public recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity (ACTE) on the Department’s equity work. | June 2024 |
| Institutionalizing Equity | Ensure DOT supervisory and executive employees are meaningfully trained on equity and civil rights. | July 2024 |
| Institutionalizing Equity | Host Town Halls across the country to engage geographically diverse members of the public on priority transportation topics and policies. | September 2024 |
Have an idea to help advance transportation equity? Want to partner on one of these actions? Email us at equity@dot.gov to share your thoughts.
Interested in hearing the latest on our equity work?
Last updated: Wednesday, February 14, 2024