WSDOT - Active Transportation Sandy Williams Equity Needs

This analysis scores Census Block Groups in Washington based on their degree of equity and environmental justice need for the purpose of identifying and prioritizing investment locations for the Connecting Communities Pilot Program. Each Block Group receives a score based on several factors related to vulnerable populations and environmentally burdened communities, and these scores are added together to create the final score. See the accompanying methodology word document for a full list of factors. Original data sources are the U.S. Census 2016-2020 American Community Survey (ACS) and the Washington Environmental Health Disparities (EHD) Map. Individual scores are calculated for each measure, which then sum up to aggregate scores for vulnerable populations and overburdened communities as well as a combined final score. Block Group scores based on demographic measures from the ACS data are calculated relative to other Block Groups in similarly sized population centers or in tribal areas. If a Block Group’s value for a given demographic measure is at or above the 80th percentile within its population center size category, it is given 2 points for that factor. If its value is at or above the 60th percentile within its population center size category, it is given 1 point. All other Block Groups receive 0 points for that factor. Block groups that overlap with or touch multiple population centers that have different sizes are assigned the highest possible point value based on all overlapping population centers. For the health and environmental measures sourced from the EHD map, scores are applied based on the measure’s rank value. Block Groups with a rank of 9 or 10 are given 2 points, and Block Groups with a rank of 7 or 8 are given 1 point. This is applied statewide without any scaling within population center sizes, as is performed for the demographic metrics, to ensure that Block Groups with similar environmental or health burdens across the state are scored evenly. Here is a list of measures (included in attribute table), used to calculate the final score: 1. Population less than 18 years of age; 2. Population age 65 or older; 3. Housing cost-burdened households (spending over 30% of income on housing); 4. Black, Indigenous, People of color; 5. Households with 1 or more persons with a disability; 6. Ability to speak English – less than very well; 7. Household income below 200% of the federal poverty level; 8. Zero to one car households; 9. Unemployment; 10. Transportation expense (%) for moderate income families; 11. Limited access to healthy food; 12. Low birthweight (<2500 grams); 13. High rate of hospitalization, based on the maximum rank value from the following variables; (a) Death from cardiovascular disease, (b) Cancer deaths, (c) Lower life expectancy at birth, (d) Premature death; 14. Environmental exposures; 15. Environmental effects; 16. Diesel pollution burden Finally, 1 additional point is given to Block Groups that fall within or touch a tribal area to give a slight priority to areas serving tribal populations. This score, along with the demographic measures from the ACS as well as the transportation expense, limited access to healthy food, low birthweight, and high rate of hospitalization measures from the EHD Map are summed together to create the total vulnerable population score. The three environmental measures from the EHD Map are summed together to create the total overburdened communities score. These two totals are summed to create the Block Group’s final score.本分析针对华盛顿州的人口普查街区组（Census Block Groups）开展公平性与环境正义需求程度评分，旨在为社区连接试点项目（Connecting Communities Pilot Program）识别投资选址并确定优先级。每个街区组将基于与脆弱人群、环境负担社区相关的多项因素获得单项得分，各项得分汇总后得到该街区组的最终总分。完整因素清单详见配套的方法学Word文档。原始数据来源为2016-2020年美国社区调查（American Community Survey, ACS）数据与华盛顿州环境健康差异（Environmental Health Disparities, EHD）地图。 针对每项指标分别计算单项得分，随后可汇总得到脆弱人群总分、负担过重社区总分，以及综合最终总分。基于美国社区调查数据得到的人口统计指标得分，将以同规模人口中心或部落区域内的其他街区组作为参照进行计算：若某街区组在其所在人口中心规模类别中的某项人口统计指标数值达到或高于80百分位，则该指标可获得2分；若达到或高于60百分位，则获得1分；其余街区组该项指标得分为0。若某街区组与多个不同规模的人口中心重叠或接壤，则将根据所有重叠的人口中心赋予其最高可能的得分。 针对来自环境健康差异地图的健康与环境指标，评分将基于指标的排名值确定：排名为9或10的街区组可获得2分，排名为7或8的则获得1分。该评分规则在全州范围内统一适用，无需像人口统计指标那样按人口中心规模进行缩放，以确保全州范围内环境或健康负担相似的街区组评分保持公平。 以下为计入最终总分的指标清单（详见属性表）： 1. 18岁以下人口； 2. 65岁及以上人口； 3. 住房成本负担家庭（收入的30%以上用于住房支出）； 4. 黑人、原住民及有色人种群体； 5. 至少1名家庭成员存在残疾的家庭； 6. 英语流利程度未达"非常好"水平的人群； 7. 家庭收入低于联邦贫困线200%的群体； 8. 拥有0或1辆汽车的家庭； 9. 失业人群； 10. 中等收入家庭的交通支出占比； 11. 健康食品获取渠道有限； 12. 低出生体重儿（体重<2500克）占比； 13. 基于以下变量的最高排名值计算的高住院率：(a) 心血管疾病死亡病例；(b) 癌症死亡病例；(c) 出生时预期寿命较低；(d) 过早死亡； 14. 环境暴露水平； 15. 环境影响程度； 16. 柴油污染负担 此外，对于位于或接壤部落区域的街区组，额外加1分，以略微优先考虑服务部落人群的区域。将该加分项、美国社区调查的人口统计指标得分，以及来自环境健康差异地图的交通支出、健康食品获取渠道有限、低出生体重儿占比、高住院率四项指标得分相加，得到脆弱人群总分。将来自环境健康差异地图的三项环境指标得分相加，得到负担过重社区总分。将上述两项总分相加，即可得到该街区组的最终总分。