With billions on the way to build out modern transportation systems, officials are working to engage disadvantaged communities in the planning and development processes.
Government Technology By Skip Descant September 13, 2023 The 6/10 connector runs through Providence and its suburbs.(Rhode Island Department of Transportation) The billions of dollars in federal funding to develop new transportation infrastructure systems may lead to more than just new charging plugs for electric vehicles or new fleets of electric buses An equally lasting byproduct of the infrastructure initiative — and the companion legislation aimed at addressing climate change and developing the green economy — will be new approaches at planning and community engagement, approaches that put disadvantaged communities at the center of the conversation. “There are so many exciting opportunities happening right now … . We need to be really intentional with the way that we’re moving forward to make sure we’re not replicating past injustices, or going about the same way things have always been done,” said Yesenia Perez, climate equity program manager at the Greenlining Institute, speaking on a Sept. 12 panel to discuss the importance of ensuring that marginalized communities are an essential part of the planning process for transportation and clean energy systems. “Again, community ownership and community engagement is just so critical to this work.”
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