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Draft 12/20/2018 Dominique Edwards Public Participation Planner Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission NIRPC Outreach Committee: proposed activities, background, and context
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Page 1: NIRPC Outreach Committee: proposed activities, …...3 NIRPC Outreach Committee: proposed activities, background, and context • • May meeting o Discuss/review draft PPP before

Draft 12/20/2018

Dominique Edwards Public Participation Planner Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission

NIRPC Outreach Committee: proposed activities, background, and context

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Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................. 2

What is NIRPC? ..................................................................................................................... 2 Purpose of Outreach Committee ............................................................................................ 2 Proposed Outreach Committee activities for 2019 .................................................................. 2

Why is public participation important to NIRPC? .................... 4

Core transportation planning documents ................................................................................ 5

MPO certification review ............................................................ 6

Improvement areas and actions.............................................................................................. 6

Public Participation Plan implementation ................................ 8

Identification and analysis of under-represented populations .................................................. 8 Public participation in planning activities ................................................................................11

Appendices ................................................................................ 12

Appendix A: glossary of terms and abbreviations ..................................................................12 Appendix B: Environmental Justice areas in Northwestern Areas ..........................................16

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Introduction What is NIRPC? The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) serves as the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) and council of governments (COG) for Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties in Indiana. An MPO is responsible for maintaining a “3C Planning” process, or comprehensive, cooperative, and continuing. This planning process is designed to include a diverse set of stakeholders in transportation planning and policy decision-making. In effect, MPOs help local governments identify transportation projects to invest in for the improvement of their communities.

Purpose of Outreach Committee The Outreach Committee is being empaneled to assist NIRPC with updating its 2014 Public Participation Plan (PPP) to support planning activities of the agency. While NIRPC places a significant emphasis on transportation planning through its MPO functions, NIRPC also engages in economic development and the environment. The Outreach Committee will provide input and advise the Technical Planning Committee on an updated PPP. The TPC will recommend to the Commission an updated PPP to adopt. After the update of the PPP the Outreach Committee’s business will have concluded for 2019.

The PPP and the committee will then be put on a more consistent and predictable cycle, with the committee being reconstituted approximately two years before every subsequent major update of the Region’s long-range plan (or sooner if federal or state law requires). NIRPC will be updating the long-range plan significantly in 2019 with the NWI 2050 Plan, then in 2023 with a minor update, and then in 2027 with a likely major update. Therefore, the next time the Outreach Committee would be empaneled to review, assess, and recommend a new PPP would be 2025.

Proposed Outreach Committee activities for 2019 The Outreach Committee will be asked to discuss and provide input on NIRPC’s public participation efforts, methods, and issues. The input will be critical to update the PPP by July 2019.

• January meeting o Adopt business plan for committee o Discuss recertification review and requirements for public outreach o Provide background on populations to reach o Discuss update of PPP

• March meeting o Discussion key areas to address in PPP update o Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT analysis)

General discussion on regional outreach issues Low attendance at meetings internal/external How to connect what we hear to what we do Figure 1: SWOT analysis to completed at March meeting (next page)

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• • May meeting

o Discuss/review draft PPP before release for public comment for 45-days, recommended by TPC, and adopted by Commission in July

•Low attendence•Hard to reach people today

•Lack of resources

•Action plan•Outreach Committee

•Better scopedUPWP projects

•Application of public participation matrix

•NIRPC is regional forum, in federal and state statute, to discuss economic development / environment / transportation issues Strengths Weaknesses

ThreatsOpportunities

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Why is public participation important to NIRPC? As the MPO for Northwestern Indiana, NIRPC is responsible for complying with the transportation planning public participation regulations contained in 23 CFR 450.316 (FAST Act). The federal regulations call for a participatory process “for providing citizens, affected public agencies, representatives of public transportation employees, freight shippers, providers of freight transportation services, private providers of transportation, representatives of users of public transit, representatives of users of pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities, representatives of the disabled and other interested parties with reasonable opportunities to be involved in the metropolitan transportation planning process.” (23 CFR 450.316 (a)). Table 1 puts NIRPC’s PPP in comparison to other Indiana MPOs.

Table 1: where does NIRPC stand compared to other Indiana MPOs?

MPO Adoption year?

Transport. Authorization plan was adopted under?

Lists core transportation planning documents

Lists goals and objectives for public participation

Lists outreach methods

Page length? xx – main (xx) - appendices

Northwestern Indiana

2014 FAST Act Yes Yes Yes 31 (50)

Michiana Area

2007 SAFETEA-LU No No Yes 4.5

Indianapolis

2018 FAST Act Yes Yes Yes 15 (33)

Northeastern Indiana

2015 FAST Act Yes No Yes 27 (55)

Bloomington / Monroe

2011 SAFETEA-LU Yes Yes Yes 14 (16)

Tippecanoe County

2007 SAFETEA-LU Yes No Yes 9 (19)

Kokomo-Howard

2017 FAST Act No No Yes 8

West Central Indiana

Currently under revision

Madison County

2007 SAFETEA-LU No No No 7 (23)

Delaware-Muncie

N/A TEA-21 No No No 2

Columbus Area

2018 FAST Act Yes No No 16

Evansville Metropolitan

2016 FAST Act Yes Yes Yes 21 (49)

Kentuckiana Regional

2014 FAST Act Yes Yes Yes 14 (28)

OH-KY-IN (Cincinnati)

2018 FAST Act No Yes No 30 (39)

Summary Average year adopted: 2013/2014

FAST ACT – 8 MAP-21 – 0 SAFETEA-LU – 4 TEA-21 - 1

Yes – 8 No – 5

Yes – 6 No – 7

Yes – 9 No – 4

~15 pages average

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Core transportation planning documents NIRPC’s federally required planning products consist of a long-range plan (currently being updated), the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan (CHSTP), and Public Participation Plan (PPP).

Long-range plan requirements (23 CFR 450.322): • Look at least 20 years into the future when adopted • Be updated every four years in air quality non-attainment and maintenance areas, five

years in attainment areas • Be fiscally constrained

Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) – (23 CFR 450.308) • MPOs annual program of planning activities • Identifies sources of funding, schedules and responsible agencies • Coordinates the planning and participants in the process • Describes federally funded studies

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) – (23 CFR 450.324) • Allocates transportation construction funds • Lists projects for which FHWA/FTA funds will be obligated in the next five years • Identifies funding for each project by funding source and fiscal year • Includes all regionally significant projects, regardless of funding • Be consistent with long-range plan • Conform to air quality/conformity requirements • Be financially constrained by year • Describe expected progress in meeting performance targets

Public Participation Plan (23 CFR 450.316)

A PPP includes all the ways in which an MPO will always engage the public, such as documenting the length of public comment periods, methods of outreach, and how the MPO will fulfill other federal requirements. NIRPC’s 2014 PPP went above and beyond the minimum for a PPP contained aspirational goals and objectives that were not always possible to achieve. Due to this fact, FHWA and FTA recently deemed the PPP to be out of compliance and advised NIRPC to revise the plan to the minimum requirements of a PPP.

Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan (49 CFR 5310)

The Coordinated Transit Plan is required for the FTA 5310 funding source which assists providing mobility to individuals who need mobility assistance. 5310 funding is an effort to improve the accessibility of the overall transit system, specifically for individuals with disabilities, people who are lower income, and/or who are elderly. In order to improve the accessibility of the system, this plan uses input from the public, data and other information collected from transit operators, human service organizations, and partner agencies to develop a set of needs and service gaps. The needs and gaps are then matched to goals to improve the connectivity and efficiency of the transit system and ultimately, funding priorities.

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MPO certification review MPOs self-certify that they meet all applicable federal requirements including (pursuant to 23 CFR Part 450.334):

• Planning requirements • Non-discrimination under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act • Clean Air Act of 1990 and amendments • American with Disabilities (ADA) • Older Americans Act

The Federal Highway and Transit Administrations conduct certification reviews of the planning process in every MPO that contain 200,000 or more people (these MPOs are also known as Transportation Management Areas) every four years. The certification review will:

• Assess compliance with federal laws and regulations • Offer opportunity for interaction and technical exchange

In July 2017, following a certification review, NIRPC was found to have a corrective action for public participation, specifically with the 2014 Public Participation Plan. FHWA and FTA required that NIRPC develop and submit a sustainable plan of action that improves public participation within 60 days of FHWA and FTA relaying the report and its findings to our Commission at the July 2018 meeting. NIRPC complied with this request within the 60 day time limit. FHWA and FTA also offered additional technical assistance if requested and advised that they would monitor NIRPC’s progress. FHWA and FTA stated that to remedy the corrective action, NIRPC must update the PPP. The submitted action plan as requested and it comprised several areas of improvement. There were nine internally identified areas to improve with fifteen actions.

Improvement areas and actions • Public Participation Planner training

o We must ensure our Public Participation Planner has all the resources, skills and tools she needs to accomplish NIRPC’s desire to have a robust and inviting public participation process. NIRPC will do the following: Action 1) continue to seek training for our Participation Planner, notably the

upcoming National Transit Institute course on Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-making

Action 2) apply for the Transportation Planning Capacity Building Peer Program to do a peer exchange on public participation – if accepted by the peer program

• Alternative formats o We must ensure that our staff can fulfill requests from the public to engage with

materials, or at meetings, in formats that are reasonable accommodations. NIRPC never wants to be in a position where it finds itself unable to fulfill a request from the public to participate in our planning process. NIRPC will do the following: Action 3) train all staff on the Public Participation Plan and our requirement to

invite, encourage, and accommodate all members of the public so that we can have as broad and diverse participation as possible

Action 4) train all staff on how to fulfill requests for alternative formats

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Action 5) pursue on-call contracts of vendors who will be able to fulfill requests for language interpretation/translation, braille, ASL, or CART services at short notice

• Content rich public meetings o We understand it can be difficult for some members of the public to attend our

meetings and must ensure our meetings are content rich. NIRPC will do the following: Action 6) continue to streamline workflows and business decisions to reduce

the need for monthly meetings and transition to content rich quarterly meetings – this will take time to achieve and coordinate with the existing committees of our Commission

• Outreach lists o We must ensure our outreach lists are updated/maintained and include as many

contacts for ADA, EJ, and Title VI participants who want to be contacted. Action 7) continue to solicit interest in our transportation planning projects to

build and maintain contact lists for electronic and “snail” mail recipients Action 8) explore a new vendor for electronic distribution of emails to ensure

we are using the best product to reach our stakeholders • Project scoping

o We must enhance our planning project scoping process to put public participation at the center of the planning process. Action 3) train all staff on the Public Participation Plan and our requirement to

invite, encourage, and accommodate all members of the public so that we can have as broad and diverse participation as possible

Action 7) continue to solicit interest in our transportation planning projects to build and maintain contact lists for electronic and “snail” mail recipients

Action 9) better scope projects at the point of Unified Planning Work Program development with consideration of need for public meetings and locations, materials, interested stakeholders, how to communicate with the public, and especially how to invite/encourage/accommodate ADA, EJ, and Title VI participants

Action 10) evaluate staff on public participation efforts in their individual performance goals

• Outreach methods o We must continually seek to utilize the best and appropriate outreach methods to

gain high-quality and diverse input. Action 1) continue to seek training for our Participation Planner, notably the

upcoming National Transit Institute course on Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-making

Action 2) apply for the Transportation Planning Capacity Building Peer Program to do a peer exchange on public participation

Action 3) train all staff on the Public Participation Plan and our requirement to invite, encourage, and accommodate all members of the public so that we can have as broad and diverse participation as possible

Action 7) continue to solicit interest in our transportation planning projects to build and maintain contact lists for electronic and “snail” mail recipients

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Action 9) better scope projects at the point of Unified Planning Work Program development with consideration of need for public meetings and locations, materials, interested stakeholders, how to communicate with the public, and especially how to invite/encourage/accommodate ADA, EJ, and Title VI participants

Action 11) generate more social media content to engage the public and print/mail newsletter to those on our “snail” mail list

• Adaptive management of the Public Participation Plan o We must ensure that we are continually improving our public participation process by

learning from prior engagement experiences. Action 3) train all staff on the Public Participation Plan and our requirement to

invite, encourage, and accommodate all members of the public so that we can have as broad and diverse participation as possible

Action 12) complete assessments of each engagement effort (in addition to public comment reporting already conducted) and then adjust future public participation efforts based on what was learned from the assessments

• Outreach Committee o We will get the Outreach Committee underway.

Action 13) future identify/invite committee membership and then hold first meeting

Action 14) staff will generate a draft business plan for the Outreach Committee for the membership to approve at its first meeting and then execute

• Public Participation Plan o We must update our Public Participation Plan to be sure it is current and free of

aspirational tasks and activities, a key recommendation of FHWA/FTA staff. Action 15) with the assistance of the Outreach Committee revise the Public

Participation Plan.

Public Participation Plan implementation In an effort to implement the PPP, NIRPC has a full-time position dedicated to overseeing the implementation of the PPP. The Public Participation Planner holds responsibility of the following tasks:

• Ensuring implementation of the PPP • Coordinating with Environmental Justice and Title VI organizations and communities • Researching contemporary public participation methods • Serving as NIRPC’s advocate for public participation of under-represented populations • Assessing the need for modifications to NIRPC’s PPP • Providing staff support across the agency in regard to public input during planning

activities • Assessing the effectiveness of the PPP with assessments of outreach efforts • Generating social media content, quarterly newsletters, and press releases

Identification and analysis of under-represented populations In Appendix B of this report, you will find a geographic representation of Northwest Indiana’s under-represented and protected communities. Those communities include: minority, low-

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income, elderly, veterans, low-English Proficiency, individuals with disabilities, and those without access to vehicles. The individuals that make up these groups are often under-represented in the transportation planning process. The PPP must make special emphasis on engaging these individuals. Below, you will find a further analysis of Northwestern Indiana’s protected communities. This analysis details the number of residents that fall into the category and the percentage of the population they represent. This data was taken from the 2016, 5-year American Census Survey from the US Census Bureau.

Table 2: Year 2016 EJ Groups for the Northwestern Indiana Region

EJ Group Number Percent Minority 270,519 35.2% Low-income 237,296 30.9% Elderly 112,948 14.7% Veterans 93,158 15.9% Low English Proficiency (LEP)

5,610 1.9%

Disabled 91,624 16.1% Zero car 21,842 7.5% Regional totals Population 767,707 100% Households 289,621 100% Population ages 16-64

485,917 100%

Table 3: Year 2016 EJ Target Groups/Areas for the Northwestern Indiana Region

Target Group Regional Threshold

Target Group Population

% of EJ Pop. In Target Group

No. of Block Groups in Target Areas

Minority 35.2% 172,539 73.6% 167 Low-Income $42,807 175,400 74.8% 170 Elderly 14.7% 120,193 51.2% 107 Low English Proficiency (LEP)

1.9% 116,705 49.8% 97

Disabled 16.1% 201,109 85.7% 181 Veterans 15.9% 130,351 55.6% 108 Zero Car Households

7.5% 186,139 79.4% 167

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Table 4: Analysis of outreach activities from August – October 2018

Target Group Number Caucasian 212 African American 92 Hispanic/Latino 62 Asian/Pacific Islander

4

Native American 1 Other 2 Individuals with Disabilities

11

Younger than 25 years old

79

25-34 61 35-44 37 45-54 51 55-64 80 65 years or older 49 Regional Total Population 767,707

Table 5: Analysis of outreach method engagements April – October 2018

Outreach Method Engagement Statistics

Social Media 10,313 Impressions Social Media Polls 49 Participants Mass Emails 1,200 Contacts Flyers 115 Direct Mail 131 Public Meetings/ Forums

15

Pop-Ups 15 Newsletters 2 On-Site Visits 93

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Public participation in planning activities NIRPC identified this matrix in the 2014 PPP, but has not fully utilized it when developing UPWP planning tasks. This matrix is valuable in that succinctly lays out the type of engagement, the techniques to accomplish it, and when they will be employed. The Public Participation Planner will be using this matrix with other planners as they scope out future projects to ensure that activities are on the spectrum of being as collaborative as appropriate.

Figure 2: public participation matrix (Lower) Level of Participation (Higher)

Inform Consult Involve Collaborate Public

Participation Goal

To provide the public with balanced and objective information and to assist in their understanding of planning problems, alternatives, opportunities, and solutions.

To obtain public feedback on our planning work, analyses, outreach efforts, and decisions.

To work directly with the public throughout the planning process to ensure that their concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered.

To partner with the public in every aspect of our planning process, including the development of alternatives and the identification of preferred solutions.

NIRPC’s Promise to the

Public

We will keep you informed.

We will keep you informed, listen to and acknowledge your concerns and aspirations, and provide feedback on how public input influences our decisions.

We will work with you to ensure that your goals and aspirations are directly reflected in our planning work as much as possible, and to provide feedback on how public input influences our decisions.

We will look to you for advice and innovation in formulating solutions to our planning issues, and incorporate your advice and recommendations into our decisions as much as possible.

Public Involvement Techniques

Website, Facebook, Twitter, Newsletters, Press Releases, Legal Advertisements, Direct Mailings, Fact Sheets, Display Advertisements

Facebook, Twitter, Surveys, Comment Forms, Public Meetings

Open Houses, Group Meetings, Webinars, Surveys

Task Forces, Working Groups, Youth Outreach, Small and Large Group Meetings

When These Techniques

Will Be Used

On a regular and frequent basis as reminders and to give people easy access to important information.

When NIRPC needs feedback on its planning activities.

To solicit public comment and opinion about issues and events.

To prepare for a major planning process

Source: NIRPC, adapted from International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Public Participation Spectrum

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Appendices Appendix A: glossary of terms and abbreviations Following is a list of terms and abbreviations commonly used in regional planning and MPO documents, including the Public Participation Plan.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, State and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation.

Comprehensive Planning

A planning process that determines a community’s or region’s goals and aspirations that typically addresses land use, transportation, utilities, recreation, housing, and economic development. Comprehensive plans usually include large geographical areas, a broad range of topics, and cover a long-term time horizon.

Council of Governments (COG)

A cooperative association of local governments that addresses regional issues. COGs are associations that represent member local governments, mainly cities and counties, that seek to provide cooperative planning, coordination, and technical assistance on issues of mutual concern that cross jurisdictional lines. In this sense, COGs serve to develop consensus on many issues that need to be addressed in a sub-regional or regional context.

Environmental Justice

Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. It will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.

FHWA

The Federal Highway Administration

FTA

The Federal Transit Administration

IDEM

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management

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INDOT

The Indiana Department of Transportation

Meaningful dialogue

An exchange of ideas or opinions meant to help shape public policy or form consensus. It includes sharing and listening by all parties.

Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

The organization designated by the Governor to be responsible for developing transportation plans and programs for urbanized areas of 50,000 or more. It is the forum for cooperative transportation decision making. NIRPC was designated the MPO for Lake and Porter Counties in 1975. LaPorte County joined NIRPC in 1979 and was added to the Metropolitan Area Boundary in 1994.

Metropolitan Area Boundary

At a minimum, the existing urban area, non-attainment area (see definition below) and contiguous area expected to become urban in the next 20 years. The metropolitan area boundary for Northwest Indiana includes the entire Counties of Lake, Porter and LaPorte and defines the area within which NIRPC conducts the transportation planning process.

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21)

This law was enacted in 2012, and will fund surface transportation programs at over $105 billion for fiscal years (FY) 2013 and 2014. MAP-21 creates a streamlined and performance-based surface transportation program and builds on many of the highway, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian programs and policies established by the Federal Government. MAP-21 supersedes The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act – a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which was enacted in 2005.

Public participation

Actively engaging residents in regional public policy formation by allowing and inviting residents to discuss and provide suggestions on projects and initiatives of local and regional significance.

Public meeting

An open forum in which all are welcome.

Regional planning

Public sector activities encompassing economic, social, environmental and physical elements to develop and implement appropriate public policy in an area covering more than one jurisdiction.

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Regionally significant project

A transportation project that is on a facility, which serves regional transportation needs and would normally be included in the modeling of a metropolitan area’s transportation network, including at a minimum all principle arterial highways and all fixed guide way transit facilities that offer an alternative to regional highway travel. Examples include roads that provide access to and from the area outside the region; major activity centers in the region; major planned developments such as new rental malls, sports complexes, etc.; or transportation terminals as well as most terminals themselves.

Social equity

Social equity, a concept that plays a role in NIRPC’s 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan, is a social state of affairs in which all people within a specific society or isolated group have the same status in certain respects. At the very least, social equity includes equal rights under the law. It also includes equal opportunities and obligations. It is the overall fairness of a society in its divisions of rewards and burdens.

Stakeholder

Individuals and organizations involved in or affected by the transportation planning process. This includes citizens, affected public agencies, representatives of public transportation employees, freight shippers, providers of freight transportation services, private providers of transportation, representatives of users of public transportation, representatives of users of pedestrian walkways and bicycle transportation facilities, representatives of the disabled, other interested parties, and providers of public transportation.

Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act

This is a Federal law providing that no person, irrespective of race, color, or national origin, shall be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

A staged, multi-year multi-modal program of transportation projects in the MPO planning area that is consistent with the metropolitan transportation plan.

Transportation Plan (long and short-term)

A plan that identifies facilities that should function as an integrated metropolitan transportation system. It gives emphasis to those facilities that serve important national and regional transportation functions, and includes a financial plan that demonstrates how the plan can be implemented. A metropolitan area transportation plan must have at least a 20-year planning horizon.

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Urbanized area

A geographic area with a population of at least 50,000 as designated by the Census for areas with an overall density of 1,000 people per square mile. The urbanized area of Northwest Indiana as defined by the federal Census is approximately the northern half of Lake County, the northern third of Porter County, and a section of LaPorte County, which includes the cities of Michigan City and LaPorte.

USEPA

The United States Environmental Protection Agency

USDOT

The United States Department of Transportation

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Appendix B: Environmental Justice areas in Northwestern Areas Figure 3: Areas with moderate and significant populations of four or more EJ population groups

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Figure 4: Areas with higher than regionally average populations of individuals with disabilities

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Figure 5: Areas with higher than regionally average populations of Limited-English proficiency

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Figure 6: Areas with higher than regionally average populations of individuals who are lower income

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Figure 7: Areas with higher than regionally average populations with individuals who are minorities

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Figure 8: Areas with higher than regionally average populations with individuals who are older

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Figure 9: Areas with higher than regionally average populations who are veterans

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Figure 10: Areas with higher than regionally average populations that are zero car households