| Many TCSP projects are aimed at improving the transportation, community, and economic conditions within low-income and minority communities. Deeohn Ferris described Executive Order 12898 on environmental justice, and addressed the importance of involving the full range of potentially affected population groups throughout all stages of planning transportation projects. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that, "No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." Executive Order 12898 requires that each Federal agency, "make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations." The Executive Order, thus, extends the protected groups to include low-income populations.
Ms. Ferris described examples of how in the past highway, transit, and railroad facilities have harmed low-income and minority communities, and the resulting importance of examining who is bearing the burdens of transportation projects as well as who is receiving the benefits. The history of planning clearly shows a disproportionate impact on low-income communities. There is no lack of evidentiary studies illustrating that environmentally hazardous situations are directly correlated to race and income. As a result of this history, there can be a lot of anger within communities who feel they have been under-involved and under-served over a long period of time.
Ms. Ferris described how the 1964 Civil Rights Act and other related federal statutes are now being used by disadvantaged communities to address how transportation funds are invested. She spoke about the need to broaden partnerships and to incorporate public outreach and participation efforts as a discipline in transportation and community planning. Conducting public outreach and encouraging and soliciting participation requires rigor and resources. Reaching under-served communities should be as important as any other aspect of project planning. An important benefit of the TCSP program is that it will demonstrate how the objective of environmental justice can be achieved through the manner in which transportation projects are planned and implemented.
To understand a problem and properly diagnose it, and to arrive at an intelligent and equitable solution, requires looking at every factor of the problem. Environmental and economic justice are quality of life issues. A public outreach effort must include meeting the community on their own terms and their own turf, using their language and vocabulary. Time or money cannot be stinted on outreach, because if proper outreach is not done - beginning early in the planning effort -- communities become justifiably angry and the process stalls. New "outside the box" methods need to be used, along with existing methods, to accomplish grassroots outreach. "Creative outreach is needed just to get people to the table." Some important aspects of this are capacity building, trust building, and investing in longer-term relationships and training.
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