Transportation gives people the opportunity to access goods, services and activities that provide benefits. Transportation helps determine where people can live, shop, work, go to school, and recreate. Transportation is therefore about opportunity and equity. This paper explores the concept of transportation equity and suggests better ways to incorporate fairness into transportation decisions. It describes three major types of equity: horizontal equity, vertical equity with respect to income, and vertical equity with respect to need and ability. How transportation is defined and measured often determines how equity is evaluated. Current transportation equity issues are discussed, and examples are used to explore the equity implications of specific decisions. Case studies include automobile user charges, transit funding, and traffic management.(A)
Abstract