Department of Transportation

Environmental Justice

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), as a recipient of a federal agency is required to develop an Environmental Justice (EJ) strategy that prevents disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects, including social and economic effects on minority and low-income populations. To comply with the federal laws, NJDOT’s policies uphold the mandates of:

NJDOT’s EJ Program is an interdisciplinary effort to address the interests and concerns of low-income and minority populations in transportation planning and project development that parallels the intent of the Executive Order. The Department focuses attention on Title VI by identifying and addressing “disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority and low-income populations.”

In addition to managing the EJ program and coordinating Title VI compliance requirements for transportation programs, NJDOT promotes policies and strategies to involve low-income and minority communities in those programs. A designated Task Force advises and facilitates NJDOT external program areas in the implementation of Title VI/EJ activities. It also collects census data that targets EJ communities.

The results of NJDOT’s Title VI/EJ program include:

  • improved transportation decisions to meet the needs of all people;
  • redesigned transportation facilities to fit more harmoniously into communities;
  • improved data collection, monitoring and analysis tools to assess the needs of and analyze the potential impacts on minority and low-income populations;
  • collaboration with other public and private programs to leverage transportation agency resources to achieve a common vision for communities;
  • avoidance of disproportionately high and adverse impacts with early identification of concerns in the planning process; and
  • counterbalance initiatives and enhancement measures to benefit affected communities and neighborhoods.

Last updated date: June 23, 2023 9:18 AM