US Department of Transportation

Today [14 Feb 2024], as part of an administration-wide effort, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT or the Department) published the 2023 update of the DOT Equity Action Plan (the Plan). The plan is a part of the Department’s implementation of Executive Order 14091 - “Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” 

The 2023 update of the DOT Equity Action Plan outlines new actions DOT is committing to across the following five focus areas: Wealth Creation; Power of Community; Proactive Intervention, Planning, and Capacity Building; Expanding Access; and Institutionalizing Equity. The highlighted actions are efforts DOT is undertaking to address key disparities, including disproportionately high traffic fatality rates among Black people and Tribal communities, high transportation insecurity and cost burdens experienced by low-income households and rural communities, and underrepresentation of Black-, Hispanic-, and women-owned small businesses receiving DOT direct contracts. The document also features dozens of recent accomplishments across each focus area since the publication of DOT’s first Equity Action Plan in 2022, including:  

  • Wealth Creation: OST issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to modernize the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concession DBE (ACDBE) program regulations to help level playing fields for small, disadvantaged businesses (July 2022) 
  • Power of Community: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a final rule updating the Uniform State Highway Safety Grant Program to require NHTSA grant recipients to conduct meaningful public engagement among affected communities. 
  • Proactive Intervention Planning and Capacity Building: Through the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program, DOT has awarded $185 million to disadvantaged communities and published a joint FY 23 NOFO that makes up to $3.16 billion available for community-centered connection (February, July 2023). 
  • Expanding Access: Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced 15 projects in 9 states that will receive approximately $686 million under the new All Stations Accessibility Program (December 2022). 
  • Institutionalizing Equity: DOT hosted a Department-wide equity summit for DOT employees, organized by the DOT Equity Community of Practice to share best practices to advance equity (June 2023)...

[Read more: U.S. Department of Transportation Releases 2023 Equity Action Plan Update | US Department of Transportation]