Understanding the Role of Equity in Delaware Department of Transportation Expenditures

Project Abstract

Equitable outcomes is an increasingly important principle for expenditures by state Departments of Transportation, yet little is known about the methods and procedures used to incorporate equity into financial decision-making. This applied research project will employ semi-structured interviews with key personnel in the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) to illuminate their conceptualization of equity and how the concept influences capital expenditures. The interview data will be compared to the state of the art of equity in transportation and infrastructure spending, which will be gleaned through a literature review. The resulting analysis will highlight gaps and innovative practices at DelDOT, which will lead to recommendations for closing gaps and accentuating positive practices and outcomes. Research findings will be communicated to DelDOT leadership and local government officials.

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Universities Involved

University of Delaware

Principle Investigators

Dr. Philip Barnes

Dr. Andrea Pierce

Funding Sources and Amounts

USDOT: $100,000

Start Date

September 1, 2023

Completion Date

September 1, 2024

Expected Research Outcomes & Impacts

The ultimate goal of this applied research project is to improve administrative and policy practices in Delaware’s Department of Transportation. The project will accomplish this by developing recommendations for DelDOT to enhance equity in their capital expenditures, catalyzing a fairer, more just, and accessible transportation system for systematically disadvantaged stakeholders and communities in Delaware. Additionally, the fourth objective of the proposal is to develop and refine a translatable method for assessing and analyzing equity within SDOTs, which is a current gap in the scientific literature. This would enable future research to make comparative analyses between states, yet another gap in the transportation and equity literature.

Subject Areas

Public Policy, Equity, Infrastructure Design and Planning