HDR Transit Specialist Shares Equity Tool Insight with Mass Transit Magazine

Jorge Luna Shares How Agencies Can Use Transit Propensity Maps to Inform Equitable Transit Planning

For the December 2022 issue of Mass Transit, HDR South Atlantic Transit Lead Jorge Luna shared how one HDR project used transit propensity maps to develop an equity-informed regional plan in the Carolinas.

Luna shows how CONNECT Beyond paired sophisticated data analysis with targeted outreach to deliver a first-of-its-kind regional plan for the Centralina Regional Council and its member agencies.

“Correctly used, transit propensity maps are a powerful tool to help owners/agencies inform the heart of equitable transit planning: successful community outreach,” Luna wrote as part of Mass Transit’s Best Practices series. “Only by engaging and listening to various populations can agencies learn of their unique needs. Whatever the community’s needs are, a transit propensity map can help identify the location of who most needs service and inform community outreach and fieldwork strategies. “

Luna served as the project manager for HDR’s work on CONNECT Beyond and is one of HDR’s transportation equity leaders. Luna understands that grasping a community’s context is key to helping it transform the future.

Read more in "Equitable Transit Systems," in Mass Transit.