ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION IN THE VALLEY

Equity Roadmap
MSUS APPLIED PROJECT SPRING 2022

ANNA BARTHOLOMEW | RAVEN FIELDING | GRACE LOGAN | KALEIGH SHUFELDT | JOHN STIVERS

This document is a summation of the Electric Transportation Equity Report. To see an
overview of the listening session questions, see the Community Listening Script. For a
quick look at our Recommendations, see the Report Brief.

PROJECT OVERVIEW
The TE Activator is looking to collaboratively create a strategy for
ET that brings inclusive solutions to the Valley with the mission
to “electrify transportation in a manner that optimizes community
benefits, maximizes investment efficiency, and achieves
transformative results…[with a focus] on cross-industry
collaborative action aimed towards a region with clean air,
accessible electric transportation options, and robust electric
vehicle infrastructure” (TE Activator, 2021). Within this mission,
they have asked Team TEA to focus on how to make this
transition equitable and inclusive.

COMMUNITY LISTENING PILOT PROJECT
This is a year-long process to collaborate with and hear from residents of underrepresented
communities. While this project's main focus is on transportation electrification, it is also
important to speak with residents about their neighborhoods, understand the assets, and what
can be improved. The TE Activator must build relationships with these communities and the
organizations working with them before pursuing an electric transportation agenda. This is not
a linear process, ongoing collaboration with these community members and organizations is
vital in order to make the transition to electric transportation equitable.

PURPOSE
With the TE Activator’s intention of continuing this community engagement well into the
future, the listening process developed can be used to continually revisit the problem
framing as they transition to electric transportation. Thorough collaboration, centered
around empathy and listening, is the only feasible route to develop transportation equity
solutions that serve historically underrepresented communities (Livingstong, 2020).

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CURRENT STATE
The electric transportation (ET) and electric vehicle (EV) landscape is
currently inequitable and inaccessible for many living in the Phoenix
area.
This is especially true for people without single-occupancy vehicles
(SOVs), who are reliant on public transit or do not live in the
Metropolitan center. Transit is intricately related to the environment and,
due to societal and political structures, most of these environmental
injustices are concentrated in low-income and minority communities. The
lack of political representation within these communities has led to
increased exposure to a variety of issues.
Equitable transportation has also suffered due to a significant gap in
addressing the needs of these underserved communities (Bolin, et al.,
2005). The concentration of inequities and environmental injustices is a
direct result of the lack of representation. Therefore, equitable and
inclusive collaboration on solutions is required in order to maintain
fairness and access (Clement, 2020), considering the legacy of
institutional harm within historically marginalized communities.

DETERMINING SUCCESS
Success for this project will look like a safe, brave space that allows for open and
collaborative engagement with a diverse group of community members and organizations
that continue to provide feedback and insights. There will also be a growing number of
people involved as the process continues. The TE Activator should finish this pilot project
with a better understanding of these communities’ assets and areas of opportunity, which will
inform a process of working together to achieve an equitable ET landscape.
Further, financial, social, and governance structures should shift towards community power,
rather than institutional power. Increasing community decision-making could begin with a
grant program, then move to creating a community-insitutional network (See Timeline &
Strategy section in Report).

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[POTENTIAL] ACTORS
Transportation Electrification Activator
& its members
CHISPA Arizona
Tempe Community Action Agency
Unlimited Potential
Space of Opportunity
Tiger Mountain Foundations
Phoenix Metropolitan cities
Phoenix Metropolitan residents /
community members

TIMELINE
Formal Community
Listening Sessions
"Involve"

Ensure Community
Ownership
"Defer To"

Fall 2022

Spring 2023

Summer 2022

Winter 2022-23

Informal Organization
Engagement
"Consult"

Integration into
TE Activator Plans
"Collaborate"

*See Timeline & Strategy Section of report for details

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HONORARIUM
As part of this work, it is important to
provide an honorarium for community
members that participate in the
listening process.
The amount for the honorarium should
be based on the amount of time and
effort the action would require. For
example, compensation for facilitation
of an hour long panel discussion will
be more than asking to send an email
to connect with community partners.

RESOURCES
To gain understanding and perspectives, we can look:
National
NRDC work
Xcel's Transportation Electrification Plan
California Public Utilities Commission
Regional
Municipality Policy & Programs
Local
Community leaders and organizations
Frameworks for Equity Work (see report Appendix
for details)

ACCESSIBILITY
Each Community Listening Session
Spanish Translation
ASL Interpretation
Other language translations as needed for community
Time scheduled before or after work hours during weekdays
If on Zoom or another video platform
Closed Captions (English and Spanish)
Ensuring devices/internet is accessible for community
Providing these mediums as needed
Record event and posting free-access online afterward
Clear and accessible to find necessary videos or documents on TE Activator website
If in-person
Location is close to public transit
If security presence is required for an event, ensure they are plainclothes officers
Recommendations as highlighted by community interviews

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HIGHLIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS
Below are tiered recommendations with phases - from how to continue public engagement to
systemic policy changes. These recommendations are based on our own research and
listening, however, community priorities and input need to be heard and understood prior to
moving forward with institutional actions (see Report for details).
Utilize Frameworks
Process
Asset-Based Community Development
Mobility Equity
Love-Based Aid
Strategy
Equity and Empowerment Lens
USDN’s Spectrum from Community
Engagement to Ownership

Systemic Policy Adaptations
Grant Funding for Community-based
Organizations
First-Last Mile Transportation Options
Increase Options of Ride-Share
Shade at Transit Stops and Corridors
Hold Inclusive Listening Sessions
Offer Educational Programs
Campaign for Public Transit

Systemic Policy for Long-term Resilience
Offer free, accessible public transit
Fund Avenues for Multi-Modal ET
Network
Fund Private EV Ownership
Frequency of Transportation Modes
Development Considerations
Fund Community Security
Roadmap for EV Charging Stations
Recycling Supply Chain of EV batteries
Regional Collaboration

Public Engagement to Community Ownership
Defer to Community Knowledge
Take an Intersectional Approach
Be Slow and Intentional

This document is a summation of the Electric Transportation Equity Report. To see
an overview of the listening session questions, see the Community Listening Script.
For a quick look at our Recommendations, see the Report Brief.

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BEST PRACTICES
Based on the pilot process above, we have outlined considerations
when crafting guiding principles for a shared culture of
cooperation. As the Equity and Empowerment Lens that outlines
the “5 P’s” of equity work suggests (See Report Appendix), there is a
need for self-reflection as well as community conversations while
engaging in equity work. This is because frameworks cannot be
the be-all-end-all of committing to this work, it is a dedication to a
non-linear learning process and restructuring of deeply-rooted
assumptions.
As this team consistently comes back to, engaging in authentic
equity approaches that are not performative accentuates process
over outcomes, allows for changes in course as determined by a
community, shifts decision-making power and the structures
necessary to do so, and is slow and intentional about where these
shifts must occur.
See the Project Processes and Emerging Conversations section of
the Report for more information.

REFERENCES
Bolin, B, et al. (2005). The Geography of despair: Environmental racism and the making of
south phoenix. Research in Human Ecology.
https://www.humanecologyreview.org/pastissues/her122/bolingrineskicollins.pdf?
links=false
Clement, V. (2020). Equity in action report. City of Tempe.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jVTTPeabsUWKvW5f6uYXern1O16RBISXSzrKyr5GaFs/
edit?usp=sharing.
Livingston, R. (2020). How to promote racial equity in the workplace. Harvard Business
Review. https://hbr.org/2020/09/how-to-promote-racial-equity-in-the-workplace.
Lohan, T. (2021). Will the race for electric vehicles endanger the earth’s most sensitive
ecosystem? The Revelator. https://therevelator.org/ev-batteries-seabed-mining/.
TE Activator. (2021). Activating Transportation Electrification in Arizona. TE Activator
Playbook 2021. Retrieved from https://sustainabilityactivator.com/

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