The pandemic and racial justice protests in Washington and cities across the country have reshaped many aspects of life. For some travelers and commuters, shifts in travel patterns exposed vulnerabilities within the transportation network.
While many transportation systems have been geared to the 9-to-5 commuter, the pandemic highlighted the role public transit plays in getting essential workers to jobs. Meanwhile, despite fewer cars on U.S. roadways, statistics showed an increase in traffic fatalities, particularly among Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans, raising questions about how to ensure all Americans can safely move around their communities.
Charles Brown, founder, president and chief executive of Equitable Cities, a firm focused on equity in urban planning and an adjunct faculty member at Rutgers University, spoke to The Washington Post about the lessons transportation planners might take from the pandemic and racial justice protests, and how those might be applied in the future.