1. Finding and Reaching Disadvantaged
Groups during Project Development
NCAPA Conference September 2016
Harrison Marshall
Community Studies Group Leader
Environmental Analysis & Permitting – NCDOT
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff
3. Transportation
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race,
color and national origin in programs and
activities receiving federal funds
“No person . . . Shall on the grounds of race,
color or national origin be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefit of, or
otherwise subject to discrimination under any
program to which this part applies”
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4. Transportation
EO 13166 “LEP”
“Improving Access to Services for Persons
with Limited English Proficiency”
• Ensures that LEP persons are able to meaningfully
access services by requiring translation of “vital
documents”
• To avoid Title VI national origin discrimination
• Compliance required of all federal agencies and recipients
• “LA” or Language Assistance is an NCDOT practice
that goes beyond LEP requirements by providing
interpreters at meetings
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5. Transportation
EO 12898 “EJ”
“Federal Actions to Address Environmental
Justice in Minority Populations and Low
Income Populations”
• Disproportionately high and adverse health and
environmental effects on minority and low income
persons
• “Predominantly borne by” or
• More severe
• Equitable benefits and burdens
• Meaningful public involvement
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6. Transportation
EJ Goals
• Make transportation decisions that
meet the needs of all people
• Enhance the public involvement process, strengthen
community-based partnerships, and provide minority
and low income populations with opportunities to learn
about and improve the quality and usefulness of
transportation in their lives
• Avoid impacts and to minimize or mitigate unavoidable
impacts by identifying concerns early in the planning
phase and provide off-setting benefits to affected
communities and neighborhoods
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9. Transportation
Demographic Tool
•American Community Survey based
• Annual data updates
• Download from NCDOT’s Connect website
•Formatted “data pulls” for six most frequently
used report figures
• Race – Minority – Hispanic – LEP/LA – Poverty –
Zero Car Households
•Allows searches for other data
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11. Transportation
Census Thresholds
•LEP status determined by DSA total
• 1,000 persons or 5% of DSA adult population
• By language group (50 or more speakers)
• Who speak English less than very well
•LA
• Threshold is 50+ per Block Group
• Location-specific – emphasis placed on populations most likely
to be directly impacted
•EJ
• Minority status – 10 percentage points above county average or
50% of BG
• Low Income status – 5 percentage points above county
average or 25% of BG
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12. Transportation
Beyond Census, where we all must go
• Site Visits
• Local planners and
others
• Google Maps and Streetview
• Public housing, mill villages, manufactured housing,
other low income indicators
• Business, religious or cultural facilities, other
race/ethnicity/national origin indicators
• Ramps, senior centers, senior housing, other
age/disability indicators
• LARCs (Language Assistance
Resource Contacts)
• Ethnic and cultural groups
• Ethnic media
• Schools, religious organizations and
other institutions
• Local government point-of-contact
agencies
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13. Transportation
Reaching
LEP & LA
• Right To Language
Access (RTLA)
• Included in all meeting
notices
• Phone number to request
language assistance
• Ethnic media ads/PSAs
• LARCs
• Assist with getting the word
out
• Advise on meeting locations
• Special needs and
situations
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• Translation of vital
documents
• Meeting notices
• Meeting handouts
• ROW & Relocation info
• Interpreters at meetings
14. Transportation
Reaching
Environmental
Justice
• Notice to
renters/residents
• Current resident mailings
• Door hangers
• School/utility bill notices
• Meet where public is
comfortable
• ADA accessible
• On their turf (when possible)
or neutral ground
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• Meet when public is
available
• Shift workers
• Long distance commuters
• Retirees
• Engage with the public
• Workshops/open houses
• Small group meetings
• Charrettes
15. Transportation
For More Information
Jamille Robbins
Public Involvement
Group Leader
919-707-6085
jarobbins@ncdot.gov
Harrison Marshall
Community Studies
Group Leader
919-707-6079
hmarshall@ncdot.gov
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American Community Survey 5-
Year Estimates
Race –Table B02001 “Race”
Minority –Table B03002 “Hispanic or
Latino Origin by Race”
Hispanic or Latino Origin - Table
B03002 “Hispanic or Latino Origin by
Race”
Limited English Proficiency - Table
B16004 “Age by Language Spoken at
Home by Ability to Speak English for the
Population Five Years and Over”
Poverty - ACS 5-Year Estimates - Table
C17002 “Ratio of Income to Poverty
Level in the Past 12 Months”
Zero Car Households – Table B25044
“Household Size by Vehicles Available”
