Applying equity tools in San Francisco and Boston
Arup used the Equity Explorer tool and evaluation framework to assess and compare transit equity in San Francisco and Boston. These cities were chosen for their unique histories surrounding transit, development, and redlining. Transportation infrastructure has been inequitably distributed in both cities and, in some cases, used to segregate and raze communities (e.g., through highway expansion). Our tools were able to identify equity challenges, target geographies for improvement, and conduct needs assessments.
San Francisco
San Francisco County is the fifth-most densely populated US county. San Francisco struggles to meet the transportation needs of a wide demographic range; redlining and unequal investments have contributed to longstanding inequities.
Boston
Boston is located in the seventh-most densely populated county in the United States, Suffolk County. While many areas have access to rapid transit, most citizens rely on buses.
Defining equity challenges, goals, and target geographies
The Equity Framework leads users through a data-driven investigation of key transportation metrics so they can pinpoint underperforming areas. With this insight, it becomes easier for communities to define equity goals and target geographies.
In San Francisco and Boston, we examined commute times and zero-vehicle households:
Commute time
We analyzed variations in commute times in each city as a way to measure accessibility. For our study, commute time was defined as the time it takes an individual to get to/from work.
In San Francisco, transit users in the downtown area have the shortest average commute times, presumably because residential areas are closer to office spaces. Transit users in the southeast part of San Francisco have longer commute times, as indicated by the darker color on the map (Figure 2). Their commutes may be affected by longer distances between their destinations, traffic, or quality of public transit service.
Boston has similar patterns. Citizens that are closest to downtown have lower commute times than those who are further away from the city center (Figure 3).