Review Relevant Policies
Metro’s Equity Platform is the foundation for Metro incorporating equity assessments into planning and decisionmaking processes that improve equitable outcomes for Los Angeles communities. As with other aspects of our work, organizational, local, state and federal policies govern how we plan, design, build and operate our mobility systems and enabling infrastructure. It is important that project teams and organizational decision-makers comply with these policies to meet operational, safety and equity expectations for the agency and its riders.This page is designed to provide you with guidance on key policies for achieving Metro’s equity objectives. It begins with Metro’s organizational policies, programs and commitments. It then extends to applicable local, state and national policy, as well as select case studies and reports. The list is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather to serve as a useful reference when completing an equity assessment.
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Close-up of Untitled by Mickalene Thomas, at the Leimert Park Station.
LA Metro
Metro’s priorities and goals are guided by a series of agency-wide plans, tools, strategies and commitments.
Reference these resources to learn more about how these policies influence transportation and land use decisions in Los Angeles neighborhoods.
Strategies / Frameworks
Equity Platform
A Metro framework, adopted by the Metro Board in 2018, that guides how the agency works to address inequities and create more equitable access to opportunity through four main areas of action: Define and Measure, Listen and Learn, Focus and Deliver and Train and Grow.
We’re On Track for the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Key transportation projects, experiences and programs for enhancing mobility options both during the 2028 Games and far into the future for the LA region.
Engagement Resources & CBO Partnering Strategy
Information, tools and resources that guide Metro staff, public partners, community members, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and other key stakeholders engaging with Metro’s projects, plans and policies.
Plans
Moving Beyond Sustainability
Metro’s comprehensive sustainability strategy for the next decade to make Metro facilities greener, reduce air pollution and trash from construction and reduce smog and greenhouse gases across LA County. Moving Beyond Sustainability includes key goals related to economic and workforce development, resilience and climate adaptation.
Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
A 2019 plan that establishes Metro’s path for minimizing its contributions to climate change, while building resilience to a changing climate so Metro can continue providing vital mobility services to LA County far into the future.
Vision 2028
An agency-wide strategic plan that creates the foundation for transforming mobility in LA County through the year 2028. It sets a mission, vision, performance outcomes and goals for Metro and puts in motion specific initiatives through which Metro and its partners will pursue a better transportation future.
Long Range Transportation Plan
Metro’s detailed roadmap for how the agency will plan, build, operate, maintain and partner for improved mobility over the next 30 years.
Tools / Resources
Equity assessments
Guides and assessments for Metro staff to use when evaluating the equity impacts of their projects and initiatives.
Regional
California’s cities and counties establish land use policies, deliver transit services and own, maintain and fund the local roads in their jurisdictions. The City of Los Angeles—while the largest city in Los Angeles County—is just one of 88 distinct municipalities that comprise the County.
Refer to the below select resources from key regional partners to better understand these regional priorities and how they can be translated in Metro’s transportation services and infrastructure.
Strategies / Frameworks
Southern California Association of Governments – Housing
SCAG’s strategy for a unified future where housing goals in the region are achieved alongside positive outcomes in sustainability, transportation and economic opportunity.
Programs
Los Angeles City Planning – Environmental Justice Policy Program
Los Angeles City Planning’s comprehensive effort to strengthen and centralize environmental justice policies reflected in the City’s General Plan.
Los Angeles City Planning – Proposed Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) Ordinance, Housing Element Sites and Minimum Density Ordinance, and Resident Protections Ordinance
A zoning program, called for by the City of Los Angeles’ Housing Element, that aims to address critical housing needs and meet City housing requirements under California law.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health – Policies for Livable and Active Communities Program
An effort to provide funding and resources for injury and chronic disease prevention in Los Angeles County.
South Coast Air Quality Management District –Environmental Justice Program
Programs, resources and initiatives to help improve air quality for Southern California residents.
Plans
Los Angeles City Planning – General Plan
Prescribed policy goals and objectives to inform land use decisions that guide and shape the physical development of Los Angeles.
LA County Planning – Metro Area Plan (MAP)
A long-range planning document, adopted by the County Board of Supervisors in May 2024, which provides a policy framework for where and how Metro’s unincorporated communities will grow over the next 15 years, while still preserving and celebrating the history and culture of these communities.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health – Office of Environmental Justice and Climate Health Strategic Plan
A roadmap outlining a path to protect residents of Los Angeles County from harmful impacts of toxic exposures and climate change.
Tools / Resources
Los Angeles Department of Transportation – Communications Guidance and Quick Tips
A resource to support LADOT staff in daily interactions within and across the agency, as well as with community members.
Los Angeles County Anti-Racism, Diversity and Inclusion (ARDI) Tools
A collection of tools to help planners, administrators, service providers and advocates apply a racial equity lens to minimize their impacts on economic, political and social challenges.
Southern California Association of Governments – Environmental Justice Programs & Projects
Resources published by Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) that reflect the organization’s pursuit of environmental justice by implementing improved planning practices that meet state and federal requirements.
Statewide
The California legislature establishes the state’s transportation policies and funding priorities.
Refer to the below statewide resources to better understand how these guide Metro’s projects and goals.
Strategies / Frameworks
California Air Resources Board – Vision for Racial Equity
A commitment published by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to advance racial equity and address environmental injustice by working at all levels within the organization and externally.
California State Lands Commission – Environmental Justice
The California State Lands Commission’s policy goals and resources related to environmental justice.
Plans
California Department of Transportation – Race and Equity Action Plan (REAP)
A coordinated effort to identify strategies and priorities to advance racial equity in California in alignment with Caltrans goals.
Tools / Resources
California Department of Transportation – Transportation Equity Index (EQI)
A spatial screening tool for identifying transportation-based priority populations that integrates transportation and socioeconomic indicators.
State of California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment – CalEnviroScreen
A mapping tool that uses health, environmental and socioeconomic information to produce scores that help identify California communities that are most affected by pollution.
Laws
California State Assembly Bill 1628
A 2019 California law that enhances the state’s definition of environmental justice to, in part, emphasize the importance of community member involvement in the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental policies, laws and regulations.
California State Senate Bill 535 and Assembly Bill 1550
Two California laws, established in 2012 and 2016, that direct funding from California’s Cap-and-Trade Program to “Disadvantaged Communities” (DACs) based on geographic, socioeconomic, public health and environmental hazard factors identified by the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA).
California State Senate Bill 1000
A 2018 California law requiring local governments to address environmental justice in their general plans and identify environmental justice communities, or “Disadvantaged Communities” (DACs), in their jurisdictions.
California State Assembly Bill 617
A 2017 California law that seeks to address air quality disparities in climate-burdened communities through air quality monitoring, management and community engagement strategies.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
A 1970 California law that requires that local and state agencies evaluate and disclose the significant environmental impacts of proposed projects and adopt feasible mitigation measures to eliminate or reduce those impacts.
Organizations
California Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation
A statewide entity providing a range of resources, guidance, coordination, research initiatives and reports related to land use and planning, climate and environment, research and education and intergovernmental coordination.
Federal
Federal entities influence the scope and nature of Metro’s projects through policy regulations and funding.
Refer to select frameworks and guidelines from federal entities to better understand how these forces shape Metro’s role in Los Angeles.
Tools / Resources
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – EnviroAtlas
An online resource that provides geospatial data, tools and other resources related to ecosystem services, stressors and human health impacts.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Resource and Tool Compilation
An inventory of resources related to health impact assessments (HIAs), which can be used to incorporate health considerations into decision-making related to projects, plans, policies and programs.
Laws
National Environmental Policy Act
A 1970 federal law requiring federal agencies to assess the environmental impacts of their proposed actions before making decisions.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
A 2021 federal law that invests in U.S. infrastructure while simultaneously establishing priorities for addressing the climate crisis and advancing environmental justice.
Inflation Reduction Act
A 2022 federal law that invests U.S. economic measures while establishing goals for reduced greenhouse gas emissions.