Maine needs progressive and equitable investment in transportation. This investment should prioritize communities that have borne the brunt of burdens from the current transportation system, and which have benefited the least from the same system.
Our analysis shows that
These interactive figures identify communities across Maine that are most overburdened and most vulnerable to transportation-related environmental burdens or the absence of transportation-related benefits.
Map of Census block groups with the highest concentrations of one or more priority populations AND exposed to the highest levels of 1 - 4 cumulative environmental burdens (e.g., emissions, lack of transport access, heat risk, flood evacuation risk).
This map shows communities (i.e. Census Block Groups) with high percentages of one or more priority population groups (80th percentile for the state) AND that experience the highest burdens (80th percentile for the state) for one or more categories of environmental burdens.
Priority populations represent demographic groups that environmental justice policy and research have identified as being especially vulnerable to environmental burdens as a consequence of social or economic disadvantage, physical vulnerability, or historic and persistent discrimination and inequality. These include:
Environmental burdens and benefits span four domains:
Cumulative percentages of priority populations experiencing one or more highest cumulative burdens.
This graph shows the categorical and cumulative percentages of a given population group that lives within areas designated as experiencing one or more of the highest transportation-related environmental burden categories. A highest burdened community is a block group in which there is a high percentage of one or more priority population groups (80th percentile for the state) AND they experience the highest burdens (80th percentile for the state) for one to four categories of environmental burdens (i.e., Emissions, Heat, Evacuation, or Transportation).
For example, 15.5% of limited English speaking households (i.e., ‘Limited English HH’) in the state reside in Census block groups that experience 1 high environmental burden category, and 36.6% reside in block groups experiencing 2 environmental burden categories. Cumulatively, 98.9% of limited English speaking households live in communities experiencing 1 to 4 highest environmental burden categories. Compare this to the 76.5% of all households in the state (i.e., ‘Total HH’) who experience these conditions.
These tables show the aggregate number and percentage of the general population living in Census block groups with three or more highest cumulative environmental burdens. A block group is classified as having a high cumulative burden if it has a high percentage of one or more priority population groups (80th percentile for the state) AND it experiences the highest level of burdens (80th percentile for the state) for one or more categories of environmental burdens.
Priority populations represent demographic groups that environmental justice policy and research have identified as being especially vulnerable to environmental burdens as a consequence of social or economic disadvantage, physical vulnerability, or historic and persistent discrimination and inequality. These include:
Environmental burdens and benefits span four domains: