WTA is committed to advancing commute equity in our region and beyond.

WTA is committed to evaluating our services and reach in Washington County to prioritize the needs of traditionally underserved employees. In 2020, WTA convened an Equity Work Group made up of representatives from WTA member sites to advise our organization on equity-focused employee outreach projects.


Based on the recommendations from the Equity Work Group, we are beginning equity-focused employee outreach and engagement at selected WTA member worksites.


This engagement will help us understand what commute equity means to our members and our community; gain insight into the specific commute-related needs, barriers, and opportunities of underserved employees; and will help inform future work at WTA and possibly in the wider sustainability community.

Frontline & Essential Workers

Are you a frontline or essential employee?
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Based on the recommendations from the Equity Work Group, WTA will aim to increase equity within our incentive programs by creating more opportunities for engagement and prize earnings for Frontline & Essential workers. Data has shown us that women, people of color, and lower wage earners are highly represented in this workforce. They are also more likely than other workers to have non-traditional work shifts, such as weekends, evenings, and night shifts, which may not be as adequately served by transportation options.

Frontline Workers

• According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, nearly two-thirds of frontline workers are women.
• Just over four-in-ten (41.2%) frontline workers are Black, Hispanic, Asian-American/Pacific Islander, or another race other than white.
• Overall, almost one-quarter of frontline workers (23%) live in low-income families (income below 200 percent of poverty).

Essential Workers

• People of color make up the majority of essential workers in food and agriculture (50%) and in industrial, commercial, residential facilities and services (53%).
• Women make up the majority of essential workers in health care (76%) and government and community-based services (73%).
  

Rho, H. J., Brown, H., & Fremstad, S. (2020, April 7). A Basic Demographic Profile of Workers in Frontline Industries. Center for Economic and Policy Research. https://cepr.net/a-basic-demographic-profile-of-workers-in-frontline-industries

WTA Equity Sessions

​Transportation Equity Forum
October 6, 2021

This online event featured a panel of community leaders who are working to advance transportation justice in our region. By hearing about their experiences and perspectives, we can learn from the panelists and generate meaningful conversation around this topic. We'll learn about the panelists' definition of transportation equity, process for evaluating access/equity around transportation, and next steps. This engagement will help us understand what commute equity means to our members and our community; gain insight into the specific commute-related needs, barriers, and opportunities of underserved employees; and will help inform future work at WTA and possibly in the wider sustainability community.

Watch the recording of this public event here

Click on image to learn more about the Community Leader Panel