Recent events have further highlighted the systemic inequities built into American society, and our transportation infrastructure is no exception. People of color consistently experience worse mobility outcomes than white people, with longer and more difficult trips to access employment and other critical needs. These barriers have a major impact on economic stability and wealth accrual. To rectify these problems, the transportation sector needs to integrate equity into its methods for allocating resources. This webinar will highlight research published in a recent American Planning Association Planning Advisory Services Memo on using equity-oriented performance measures in transportation planning, documenting current methods in practice, and suggesting approaches for improvement.
Speakers:
Audrey Wennink, Director of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Council of Chicago
Brianne Eby, Senior Policy Analyst, Eno Center for Transportation
Watch the Recording:
Audrey is the Director of Transportation for the Metropolitan Planning Council in Chicago, a nonprofit organization that conducts policy research and advocacy on urban planning issues in the region. Her work includes pursuing sustainable funding for transportation in Illinois, increasing support of sustainable forms of transportation, integration of performance-based planning methods into transportation practice, and developing efforts to boost transportation equity. She coordinates transportation initiatives with other facets of planning including affordable housing, land use, equity and the environment. Her team has partnered on development of a series of equity-oriented transportation research products and tools including a qualitative study of Black and Brown transportation users’ experience and a toolbox for employers to support worker transportation. Under her leadership, MPC developed the Toward Universal Mobility report defining needed improvements to the Chicago region’s transportation system to benefit people with disabilities and seniors. MPC’s Transit Means Business report helped support advocacy for the state’s 2019 gas tax increase that now provides dedicated capital funding for transit in Illinois. Prior to her current position she was a transportation planning consultant for more than a decade. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Colby College and a Master’s of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois – Chicago.
