1. Transportation Equity Alliance for Metropolitan Stability 612-332-4471 russ@metrostability.org www.metrostability.org

2. Alliance for Metropolitan Stability We are a coalition of advocacy organizations that work together to advance racial, economic and environmental justice in the way growth and development happens in our region. We support grassroots organizing campaigns that demonstrate how the people, places and issues of the Twin Cities are interconnected – and interdependent.

3. HUD Sustainable Communities Grant: Community Engagement Team

4. Bottineau Transitway Approx $900 M Northstar Commuter Rail $317 M ( + additional stations) Corridors of Opportunity Central Corridor LRT Approx $957 M Gateway Corridor Approx $750 M Hiawatha LRT $715 M South West LRT Approx $1.2 B Cedar Ave. BRT Approx $256 M

5. Communities will be grappling with how to optimize the benefits of transitway corridor development for the next 10 – 25+ years Who Decides & Who Benefits from these publicly subsidized projects?

7. Equitable Community Engagement: Bring people and community groups in early for authentic participation in the transitway planning & decision making process to solve problems.

8. Community Engagement Team: www.engagetc.org

9. CASE STUDIES: Twin Cities Transportation Equity

11. KEY QUESTION: How can Transitway planning, station area designs, and related development be done in a way that is INCLUSIVE OF & EQUITABLE TOWARDS everyone, including members of nearby Environmental Justice communities?

12. CASE STUDY #1: CENTRAL CORRIDOR LRT The Stops For Us Campaign

13. University Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota

14. Coalition Partners included: Alliance for Metropolitan Stability Aurora/St. Anthony Community Development Corporation (ASANDC) Community Stabilization Project District Councils Collaborative of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Hmong Organizing Program, TakeActionMN ISAIAH Jewish Community Action Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy Transit for Livable Communities Housing Preservation Project (HPP) University United

15. HISTORY MATTERS

16. Planners can start by asking the right questions

17. Maps Matter …

19. Environmental Justice "Each Federal agency shall make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations.“ Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, 1994 “Safety and mobility are two of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT's) top priorities. Achieving environmental justice is another undeniable mission of the agency.” Retrieved fromhttp://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ej2.htm

20. What is Environmental Justice? There are 3 fundamental environmental justice principles: Environmental Justice Communities Exist, and we must prevent “disproportionate impacts” to them, including social & economic effects. 1. To avoid, minimize, or mitigate disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects, including social and economic effects, on minority populations and low-income populations. 2. To ensure the full and fair participation by all potentially affected communities in the transportation decision-making process. Who Decides? Community Engagement process must include affected communities 3. To prevent the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits by minority and low-income populations. Who Benefits? The managing agency must protect the rights of minority and low-income communities to equally benefit from the project. [ from FHWA FTA Environmental Justice http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ej2000.htm]

21. The Community Argued: There were distinct environmental justice populations within the Central section that were not properly identified within the EIS City of St. Paul, Ramsey County & other public officials and their Planning Staff worked with Community Groups to resolve this issue.

22. Grassroots groups ranging from Asian shopkeepers to disabled residents clamored for the extra stops, and found a friend in Rogoff. He took it up as a matter of civil rights because of the low-income and minority communities who live along the line. … while attending a transit conference last fall in Boston. He said he was cornered by a handful of Twin Cities advocates who spotted him while he was ordering coffee. "Those were the people who found in me in line in Starbucks," he said. Find Allies in High Places. Minnesota Public Radio March 12, 2010 - Laura Yuen FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff

23. New Federal Performance Measures FTA has revised the New Starts evaluation criteria, by balancing the Cost Effectiveness Index (CEI) with other social, economic and environmental factors: Cost Effectiveness Index - 20% Land Use - 20% Economic Development - 20% Mobility - 20% Environmental Benefits - 10% Operating Efficiencies - 10% Rogoff: the Central Corridor project became the poster child of why the [CEI] policy needed to be changed.

24. Central Corridor Final Map

25. Don’t Let Them Tell You It’s Impossible

27. CASE STUDY #2: HIRE Minnesotawww.hiremn.org HIRE Minnesota Video (Emmy-nominated production by MBTV) http://blackmusicamerica.com/ummg/about_us.htm

28. The purpose of the HIRE Minnesota campaign is to seek equitable investments in infrastructure development.

29. In 2009, the Minnesota Department of Transportation only hired 3.4 percent women, & only hired 6.0 percent people of color in the Twin Cities metro area compared to a goal of 6 percent women compared to a goal of 11 percent people of color

30. Our allies also wanted MnDOT to allocate the maximum amount allowed by federal law to job training programs for women and people of color (one-half of 1 percent).

31. For 18 Straight Years, MnDOT had failed to meet its hiring goals.

32. Infrastructure:Improve reporting on workforce demographics, increase transparency in how contracts are awarded and contractors’ workforce goals are enforced, and accountability for firms that do not meet workforce goals. Green Jobs: Maximize jobs that are accessible to and inclusive of low-income people and people of color, that improve our energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, and that create long-term and family-sustaining career paths.

33. Minnesota’s alarmingly high unemployment rate

34. Employment gap (White-U.S.-born Black) Source: Integrated Public Use Microdata Series from U.S. Census Bureau data. Minnesota Compass graph http://www.mncompass.org/economyworkforce/key-measures.php?km=Proportionadultsworking#7-3732-g

35. We started making our case at the State Legislature …

36. … we filled legislative hearing rooms …

37. … marching to MnDOT Headquarters …

38. … and demonstrated at MnDOT Contractor Work Sites.

39. We caught the attention of local officials and candidates for high office. Mark Dayton

40. Young People Became Involved, Top Local Music Talent Performed at Our Rallies – Advocacy Was Fun Again!

41. So What Have We Accomplished?

42. MnDOT Hiring Goals: A 45% Increase in women and workers of color during the 2010 construction season

44. No other project is meeting the goal for women.

46. Met Council Hiring Goals: Met Council sets goal to hire 18 percent people of colorand 6 percent women to help build out of the Central Corridor Light Rail Project

48. Both main contractors are above the 6% goal for women

49. Both contractors submitted projections at the beginning of the project indicating they would be above goal at this point

50. We cannot rely on the federal government because the hiring goals from a federal level are an incredulously low 2.9% (according to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance – OFCCP)That number has been the same for more than 30 years

51. CASE STUDY #3: VAN WHITE STATION SW LRT This is about Access vs. Isolation

52. HarrisonNeighborhood 2010 Census: African American 40% S.E. Asian 17% European American 28% Latino 9% 37% of Harrison’s population is under the age of 18 & of those, 63% live in poverty. Retrieved from City of Minneapolis Neighborhood Profiles: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/neighborhoods/harrison_population.asp#TopOfPage

53. Employment Rate: Harrison overall 20.5% African Americans 32% City of Minneapolis 6.5% (1st Quarter, 2011) Due to foreclosures, Harrison has lost 23% of the neighborhood while north Minneapolis in general has lost over 7000 persons. Retrieved from City of Minneapolis Neighborhood Profiles: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/neighborhoods/harrison_population.asp#TopOfPage HarrisonNeighborhood

54. HISTORY MATTERS: 1935 Planning Map

56. Bassett Creek Valley Master Plan For over 10 years, Harrison Neighborhood Association and Northside residents have been planning for the redevelopment of Bassett Creek Valley to provide quality affordable housing, living wage jobs, avoid displacement, and build community assets that will directly benefit the current residents. Over 650 residents and other stakeholders participated in the planning process.

57. A commitment to full public participation Bassets Creek Valley Community Benefits Meeting, 2007

61. 40 ac. new green space

62. After TIF repayment, future projected tax revenue of $82 - $128 M

64. The Interchange is proposed to be the terminus station for these commuter rail lines: Image Concept by HDR prepared for Hennepin County Intermodal Facility Report, Minneapolis, MN January 2009 Midwest High Speed Rail Assoc.

65. Bassett Creek Valley Master Plan Can we fully develop Linden Yards East if there are 14 - 18 Commuter trains parked there, storing between 80 - 100 rail cars per work day on this site?

68. Bassett Creek Valley Master Plan What are the Environmental Impacts of having a diesel locomotive storage and maintenance yard on the neighborhood? How would air quality be impacted?

72. Design transportation facilities that fit more harmoniously into communities.

73. 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.

74. Improve data collection, monitoring, and analysis tools that assess the needs of, and analyze the potential impacts on minority and low-income populations.

75. Partner with other public and private programs to leverage transportation-agency resources to achieve a common vision for communities.

76. Avoid disproportionately high and adverse impacts on minority and low-income populations.

78. Regional Transitways participant groups 1000 Friends of Minnesota African Development Center Alliance for Metropolitan Stability Council on Black Minnesotans CURA Community Growth Options District Councils Collaborative of Saint Paul & Minneapolis Family & Children’s Service Fresh Energy Growth & Justice Harrison Neighborhood Association Housing Preservation Project ISAIAH Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers MICAH Midtown Community Works Partnership Midtown Greenway Coalition Minneapolis Urban League MN Center for Environmental Advocacy Native American Community Development Institute Smart Growth America Somali Action Alliance Twin Cities Local Initiative Support Corporation Transit for Livable Communities Co-convened by AMS & the Housing Preservation Project

79. Regional Transitways table: Equity Statement “To ensure fair and equitable access to transit, jobs, and affordable housing for low-income communities and communities of color by promoting an inclusive public input process and influencing future corridor alignment, stops locations, land use plans, and development opportunities along regional transitways.”