2024 TEEM Platform

Capacity BuildingMobility EquityTransportation Equity

Isa Gaillard, Alexa Diaz February 21, 2024

Historically redlined communities have long been targets for highway and transportation developments cutting through their neighborhoods. These inequitable transportation policies put communities of color at higher risk of health disparities because of tailpipe emissions and ongoing disinvestment, exacerbating the need for mobility equity and clean transportation access.

As federal and state investments in electric mobility increase, there's an opportunity to fund transportation and climate solutions at the intersections of mobility equity, transportation electrification, and community building-particularly in communities of color.

Launched in 2020, The Towards Equitable Electric Mobility (TEEM) Community of Practice is a collaborative initiative between Forth and The Greenlining Institute, aimed at advancing racial and environmental justice through equitable electric mobility. TEEM includes more than 30 organizations across five states: Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, and Virginia. Since its launch, TEEM has cultivated a peer learning and advocacy approach that prioritizes the intersections of mobility equity, community building, and transportation electrification.

The TEEM Platform offers principles and implementation recommendations for federal, state, and local transportation departments, transit agencies, elected officials, and other decision-makers to integrate equity and sustainability into transportation systems across the country.

Our Recommendations:

1. Equity & Justice: To meet Justice40 requirements, agencies must invest in outreach, public education, community engagement and shared decision-making.
2. Emissions Reductions: We need to increase access to practical alternatives to driving and electrify all modes of transportation to reduce emissions by 52% by 2030.
3. Affordable Access for All: Our nation's transportation investments must provide reliable alternatives to driving and improve the affordability of sustainable mobility options.
4. Health & Safety: Transportation investments need to substantively and rapidly decrease harm from car crashes and air pollution. Investments in the supply chain must also direct benefits to impacted communities and avoid causing or exacerbating harm.
5. Wealth Building: Government contracts, investments and jobs should be allocated through a transparent, accountable, and equitable process that mitigates racial, urban-rural divide and, economic inequities.

Read the full report here.

Alexa Diaz, Senior Policy Manager at Forth speaks about TEEM

To get in touch with TEEM and learn how to incorporate equity into your transportation policy or program planning please email Isa Gaillard, Senior Capacity Building Program Manager at The Greenlining Institute, [email protected], and Alexa Diaz, Senior Policy Manager at Forth Mobility, [email protected].

Learn more about TEEM and see the full list of partner organizations here.

TEEM Platform Co-Authors and Inaugural Signatories

Become a Signatory Organization

The TEEM Community of Practice welcomes other transportation and climate justice advocates to strengthen our collective call for equitable electric mobility. The TEEM Platform will be the foundation of our advocacy for transportation programs and policies at state and federal levels. As we advance this work, we will reach out to signatories with opportunities to collaborate.

Click the link below to become a TEEM Platform Signatory Organization

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