The Eno Center for Transportation is pleased to announce that President and CEO Robert Puentes has been elected to serve as a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity (ACTE).

From the website: “This Committee will provide independent advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation about comprehensive, interdisciplinary issues related to transportation equity from a variety of stakeholders involved in transportation planning, design, research, policy, and advocacy.”

They will also provide advice on improvement of the following areas:

• Institutionalize the Opportunity principles into Agency programs, policies, regulations, and activities;
• Strengthen and establish partnerships with other governmental agencies, including other Federal agencies and State, tribal, or local governments, regarding opportunity issues;
• Promote economic and related forms of opportunity by empowering communities to have a meaningful voice in local and regional transportation decisions; and
• Sharpen enforcement tools to ensure compliance with nondiscrimination programs, policies, regulations, and activities.

Robert Puentes added, “I’m honored and excited to be part of this important initiative. Transportation is vital to all members of society, not just those who have the means to access it easily. I look forward to working with the other experts that USDOT has selected in order to come up with the best possible recommendations for the new administration.”

The committee also includes experts from PolicyLink, Columbia University, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the National Congress of American Indians, and Michigan Urban and Regional Planning. A full list of experts can be found here.

The first meeting of the ACTE was held from 2:30pm to 5:00pm on Thursday, December 15 at USDOT’s headquarters in Washington, DC.