New actions report unveiled by California Transit Association to impact equity in transit arena
The California Transit Association's (CTA) Task Force for an Inclusive, Diverse and Equitable Association (IDEA Task Force) has released its report to help guide CTA's inclusion, equity and diversity efforts and to provide resources to its public transit agency and business members.
Although California’s transit agencies and many private sector businesses were in financial survival mode throughout 2020, the members of the CTA understood the importance of taking immediate action to support marginalized and vulnerable communities across the state to address these inequities.
"The IDEA Task Force was charged with identifying opportunities to center social and racial justice, inclusion, diversity and equity within the association's policy positions, advocacy endeavors, educational offerings and governance structure," said Kate Breen, chair of CTA's Executive Committee and director of government affairs at San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. "The incredible leadership, expertise and commitment demonstrated by the IDEA Task Force and the recommendations born out of it will further the association's development of a healthy, effective, and vibrant public transit presence throughout California."
The 17-member IDEA Task Force, chaired by Beverly Greene, executive director of external affairs, marketing and communications at the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, and vice chaired by Alva Carrasco, assistant vice president of transit and rail national business line at WSP, developed a new actions report to baseline and advance the association’s impact in the transit arena.
“We have specific, measurable goals, which include prioritizing racial justice, transportation equity and the furtherance of workforce equity in the association's educational content delivery plan; review of committee membership to ensure staff from diverse backgrounds participate in standing committees; and incorporating equity analyses when reviewing future legislative bill proposals considered for inclusion in the state and federal legislative programs,” said Greene.
“The California Transit Association is committed to a vision for public transportation that advances inclusion, diversity and equity within our industry and that furthers social and racial justice in our broader society,” said CTA Executive Director Michael Pimentel. “Our member organizations’ core function is to connect people to opportunities through transportation infrastructure and mobility services. This report charts an actionable path forward to support transformational change in our society — connecting to and extending beyond merely providing transit service — to actualize meaningful impacts in the fight against injustice in our society.”
Read the full report, Actions for a More Inclusive, Diverse and Equitable Association, on CTA's website.
