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eMobility Planning Toolkit

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Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
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STEP 1: Creating a Baseline

A. Identifying the CommunityB. Understanding Existing Mobility & TransportationC. Evaluating Current Transportation Services

In Step 1, start with identifying the geographic area and communities where you will be conducting your needs assessment and planning activities. Focus on both people and place, and understanding their existing transportation context and conditions, which could include the accessibility, reliability, and affordability of these services among others.

Most of this step will involve gathering background information and research on the community, setting the stage for your needs assessment and allowing you to tailor the engagement activities in Step 2 for your community.

A. Identifying the Community

You can identify project areas based on a number of factors, including on-the-ground knowledge of a community, climate and air-pollution impacted counties, areas that lack access to public transit, and areas that face heat risk. There might be areas of your communities that have greater transport needs than what existing mobility services can offer, or populations that are not served well by existing transportation systems.

Questions to Guide Your Research: Integrating equity in planning could include focusing on questions such as: What are the underserved or disadvantaged populations? How to do they experience disadvantage? Where do they live and what is their relationship to transport services?

Location & Population

Setting

The setting of your needs assessment may be based on a neighborhood, census tract, municipality, county, tribal lands, or other characteristics. Some factors to consider when determining location:

  • There may be less data available at a neighborhood level compared to a census tract or municipal level, so you'll have to rely more on community knowledge and on-the-ground research.
  • Using larger areas like municipalities and counties may have more data readily available, but community engagement will yield more broad or varied results.
Demographics

Demographic data offers valuable insight into the current state, historical trends, and future trajectory of communities. Analysis of this data can be a powerful tool for tracking change over time and identifying a community's needs and strengths. Some examples of demographics to consider for the population may be:

  • Age and gender
  • Race and ethnicity
  • National origin
  • Income and employment
  • Education
Equity

Consider and prioritize the mobility needs of low-income residents, communities of color, and other marginalized groups in your analysis, as these populations have historically been left out of the transportation decision-making process.
Certain populations – like seniors, youth, outdoor workers, or farmworkers – may have unique needs that are not being served by public transportation. You may also find additional demographic data to be more relevant for your needs assessment, such as:

  • Population with a disability
  • Zero-vehicle households
  • Population with limited English proficiency

Environment

Physical Environment

Include information on the physical environment of the community, including both natural and human-made elements, such as:

  • Topography
  • Land use or zoning
  • Highways, roads, and hard transportation infrastructure
  • Permanent structures like buildings, parking garages, hospitals, schools, etc.
Vulnerability

Vulnerability stressors present in the community are also helpful to include, such as:

  • Air pollution
  • Proximity to contaminated sites
  • Climate-related risks, such as heat risk, flooding, and extreme temperatures
  • Designation as a Food Desert Community
Resources

Statewide

  • NJ-GeoWeb This application provides users access to NJDEP GIS data on the internet. Users can view, query, and analyze the Department’s GIS data with related environmental information.
  • Healthy Community Planning NJ Provides individual municipal-level reports and map books containing more than 30 health and environmental indicators, as well as comparisons to the relevant county and the state overall, and links to resources for improvement.
  • “What’s In My Community” Air Quality Mapping Application Air Quality Interactive mapping tool to help residents identify sources of air pollution in and around their community.
  • Heat Hub NJ A Digital resource on all things related to extreme heat in NJ.
  • New Jersey Food Desert Community Designations Mapping tool that shows areas throughout the state that have the most limited access to nutritious foods.

Nationwide

B. Understanding Existing Mobility & Transportation

As part of your needs assessment, it’s important to understand existing transportation planning processes and infrastructure. Historical decisions around funding, planning, and infrastructure can have lasting implications for communities, particularly for communities of color who face legacies of redlining that limit access to social, economic, and educational opportunities.

Questions to Guide Your Research: How do people get around now? What are some of the services people frequently use? Who is responsible for making transportation decisions? What are the impacts from historical transportation decisions made in the community?

Current Mobility Services & Patterns

Modes

Determine the current modes of transportation that people use. These could include:

  • Mass transit (trains and buses)
  • Shared mobility services (taxis, carshare, microtransit, etc.)
  • Micromobility services (e-bikes, e-scooters, etc.)
  • Biking or walking
  • Commuter vans and carpools
  • Transportation for designated populations (seniors, individuals with disabilities, veterans, low-income households, etc.)
Use

Explore how people are using these services. For example, you may analyze:

  • Who is using these transportation services?
  • Where are people trying to get to and how are they getting there?
”Woman

Transportation Decisions

Transportation decisions are managed across all levels of government. Reviewing these plans may help you understand how transportation decisions are made and how they shaped current mobility patterns.

Historical Impacts

Our transportation system has evolved over many years. Past decisions made about interstate highways, rail, airports, and public transportation often led to negative impacts on marginalized populations, sometimes excluding or dividing communities, cutting people off from their neighbors and opportunities, and increasing local travel times. In many cases, this was the result of not including communities in the decision-making process, leading to federal, state, and local laws and policies that require public involvement as part of these processes today. These resources intend to provide a starting point. The history of transportation in the U.S. is complex and extensive. On-the-ground knowledge combined with the engagement activities in Step 2 can help you understand how historical decisions surrounding transportation may have impacted your community.

Transportation Plans

Reviewing state, regional, and local government transportation plans may help you understand how the solutions you develop in Step 3 can be most effectively implemented.

C. Evaluating Current Transportation Services

Using the data gathered from sections A and B above, evaluate the conditions of the existing transportation options both individually and holistically using the considerations below.

Note: In some cases, people who plan transportation services don’t personally use the transportation options available to residents. By using these services themselves, planners can gain a deeper understanding of what they offer and where there might be gaps.

Resources are provided in each section to assist you in your research. You are not limited to these tools and are encouraged to explore options that best fit the unique features of your community. There may be limitations on how accurate data sources might be for certain communities, so qualitative analyses such as on-the-ground observations, for example through using the transit systems and walk or bike audits, can add valuable insight. Here are some guides to help you conduct these types of assessments:

Accessibility

Accessibility evaluates how easily individuals can access opportunities and essential services in and around their community. Consider not just access to transport infrastructure but also the surrounding areas, their conditions, and perceptions of safety.

Review the questions and resources provided for each accessibility consideration below to help guide your analysis.

Connections

Areas where transportation services easily connect to employment, education, food, and healthcare are considered more accessible than ones where getting to these services requires a personal vehicle.

  • Are there multiple transportation options available?
  • Do the existing transit routes get people to key destinations and essential services?
  • How long is the commute for people to get to these destinations?
  • Are services operating when people need them?
Resources
  • EPA | Smart Location Database Nationwide geographic data resource for measuring location efficiency using attributes summarizing characteristics, such as housing density, diversity of land use, neighborhood design, destination accessibility, transit service, employment and demographics.
  • EPA | Access to Jobs and Workers Via Transit Includes several indicators measuring access to jobs and workers within a 45-minute transit ride for census block groups where transit data is available.
Walkability

The existence and condition of pedestrian infrastructure throughout the community can determine if people are able to travel effectively by walking.

  • Are sidewalks present throughout the community? Are they too narrow or in need of repair?
  • Do intersections contain crosswalks and signage to aid pedestrians in their travel? Are there areas that experience more pedestrian collisions than others?
  • Is there adequate street lighting, shade trees, or amenities that allow ease of pedestrian travel?
Resources
Safety

Consider the condition of infrastructure and vehicles as well as residents’ perceptions of safety, which vary across communities and across modes of transit.

  • Are there designated and/or protected bike lanes? Are there high levels of bicycle incidents or fatalities?
  • Are transit stations well-lit? Are there safe and accessible roads, walkable streets, and bike lanes near transit stops so people can fill in first and last-mile transit?
  • Are transit stops over-policed? This could discourage certain communities from using transit.
Resources
ADA Accessibility

Transportation services are required to comply with the accessibility standards established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to accommodate individuals with disabilities. Areas surrounding transit stations and bus stops should also be examined to ensure people with disabilities are able to get to the transportation services.

  • Do sidewalks meet minimum width requirements and are there suitable curb ramps?
  • Are there elevators present at transit stations? Are these frequently out of service?
  • Is signage for the transportation service clear, easily read, and able to meet other ADA design requirements?
Resources
  • NJ Transit | Accessibility General information on accessibility features for all NJ Transit service modes: bus, rail, light rail, and Access Link, as well as Community Transportation options and Reduced Fare Card Programs.
  • NJ Transit | Rail System Map showing accessible transit rail stations. Additional station maps can be found at www.njtransit.com.
Scheduling and Payment Options

Some services require users to schedule their ride in advance, and many also require payment for use. Not all residents have a bank account or smartphone, and it is important to consider the ability of all users to access services that have these requirements.

  • Which services have a fee for use? Do these services accept cash or other forms of payment?
  • Do people have to prebook their trip? Does scheduling require the use of a smartphone application or is there a dial-in option or kiosk for booking?
  • If there is a dial-in option, is it available 24/7? Is the line frequently busy?
Resources

Reliability

Considerations

Reliable transportation dependably provides users with a consistent, convenient, and predictable travel. Transportation services that are inconsistent or unpredictable can impact peoples' ability to effectively get where they need to go, reducing its usefulness and accessibility
When looking at existing transportation options in the community, you may consider:

  • Do they often experience delays or cancellations?
  • Are routes operating frequently enough for users?
  • Can users expect the facilities and services to be consistently clean and in good condition?
Resources

Affordability

Considerations

Can community members afford transit services in your area? Affordability can vary based on income and other factors and could limit how people use transportation services.

  • What is the median household income of people in the community?
  • How much do they spend on gas and/or transportation?
  • Are there transit discounts for low-income residents?
Resources
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