VTA and the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at San José State University (SJSU) recently renewed their track record of successful collaboration.  MTI researchers and SJSU graduate students helped develop an equity framework for a new program that VTA is exploring which would reduce the amount of driving from development projects. This work follows several past efforts in which VTA and MTI have worked together to improve safety, equity, and career opportunities in the transportation industry.

Latest VTA – MTI Collaboration

New developments like housing, office buildings, and stores generate vehicle trips, which means more vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and related traffic and environmental impacts in affected communities. VMT helps quantify how much people drive, which is related to greenhouse gas emissions, local air quality, health, noise pollution, and street safety. Programs lowering VMT can improve quality of life and the environment, and an equitable framework for these programs is critical.

Working with its cities and the County, VTA is looking at the potential for developing an Equitable VMT Mitigation Program for Santa Clara County.  The proposed program would provide an option for reducing driving (mitigating VMT) for cities and developers, working across jurisdictional boundaries and improving travel options, especially for disadvantaged communities that need it the most.

From Fall 2023 through Spring 2024, MTI researchers worked with a SJSU graduate urban planning class to help develop the equity framework for the potential Equitable VMT Mitigation Program. The MTI/SJSU research called out several best practices and recommendations:

• incorporating equity early and at multiple key decision-making points throughout the program development and implementation phases (for instance, by mapping disadvantaged communities using different definitions, and by reaching a diverse range of community members during community engagement),
• defining program equity in a locally relevant way that reflects the experiences of inequity within affected communities,
• embedding equity into the project selection process and program evaluation criteria, and
• developing an informative and implementable accountability plan.

The MTI/SJSU research is summarized in a report and a 2-page research brief published in May 2024, Exploring Equity Frameworks for a Cross-Jurisdictional Vehicle Miles Traveled Mitigation Program in Santa Clara County.  MTI also hosted a webinar to highlight the research team’s findings in May 2024; the recording and slides are available at the MTI Past Webinars site.

The VTA project team is now developing the draft recommendations for the overall Equitable VMT Mitigation Program. This will include the recommended equity framework (factoring in the MTI/SJSU team findings), as well as recommendations about the program structure, who would administer a program, and next steps toward implementation. The draft report is expected to be available in Fall 2024 at www.vta.org/EquitableVMT.

Track Record of Successful Collaboration

VTA and the Mineta Transportation Institute have a track record of successful collaboration. In 2018, MTI published an Evaluation of the Valley Transportation Authority’s DO IT! Program: A “Ladders of Opportunity Initiative” Program Funded by the Federal Transit Administration. This report evaluated a program launched by VTA, with Federal grant funding, that focused on attracting and hiring underserved, underemployed, and/or minority groups in Santa Clara County. More recently, VTA and MTI collaborated on the “Not on Transit” (NoT) project, conducting training for employees and creating awareness among passengers and the public to recognize and report human trafficking activities on transit. A number of VTA staff have earned a Master of Science in Transportation Management (MSTM) from Mineta Transportation Institute, and VTA and MTI staff frequently collaborate on industry events and webinars.