SCAG 2008 RTP Environmental Justice Improve Access to Parks
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) calls for public transportation to improve access for all to parks throughout Southern California in the 2008 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) Environmental Justice Report.
In response to public comments by The City Project and others calling for healthy parks, schools, and communties, SCAG conducted additional and new analysis on access to parks. “Public parks serve all residents. . . . However, not all neighborhoods and people have equal access to these public resources,” including local, state, and national parks. The following map shows the unequal distribution of parks and low income neighborhoods in the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, and San Diego.
Click on the map to see all sizes.
“Research has found a complete lack of public transportation services into National Parks, but this also appears true for State Parks. There is almost no access to national parks and very limited access to state parks by transit across all income groups . . . .” SCAG cites the policy report by USC students prepared for The City Project as part of Transit to Trails.
“All income groups for the whole region will have greater park accessibility due to the infrastructure investments proposed in the 2008 RTP. However, a multi-agency effort must be undertaken in order to further address and remedy the issue of inequity of park access.” (Emphasis added.) One remedy is Transit to Trails.
Source: SCAG RTP Environmental Justice Report 11-14, 24.
Learn more about Transit to Trails.
