SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The San Diego Association of Governments Board of Directors approved an equity framework for inclusion in the new regional transportation plan.
The SANDAG Commitment to Equity Statement is a foundation for the actions the regional transportation association intends to take to incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion in its programs, projects and policies.
"Transportation is a gateway to opportunity, education and jobs and this new social equity statement and framework are excellent first steps in centering equity in transportation planning in our region," said San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Moreno, chair of SANDAG's Social Equity Working Group. "In the past, transportation planners ignored the needs and quality of life of low-income neighborhoods and people of color," Moreno said. "With these actions, SANDAG has demonstrated its commitment to inclusion and accessibility for all our communities."
SANDAG's plan is intended to guide the agency in acknowledging past decisions that divided communities and marginalized groups and create new policies for inclusive outreach efforts that incorporate needs and opinions from historically marginalized groups and communities.
As a component of the equity action plan, agency staff is developing a regional social equity planning framework for the 2021 Regional Plan and will present this to the board for consideration this spring.
SANDAG is the San Diego region's primary public planning, transportation and research agency, providing the public forum for regional policy decisions about growth, transportation planning and construction, environmental management, housing, open space, energy, public safety and bi-national topics.
It is governed by a Board of Directors composed of mayors, council members and supervisors from each of the region's 18 cities and the county government.
