To help raise awareness among a wide range of stakeholders about the benefits and opportunities that a robust public transportation network can create, Mile High Connects has created a Regional Equity Atlas that maps out the region’s major origins and destinations in relation to the current and future transit network. The Atlas emphasizes the need to ensure access to opportunity for everyone in the region, especially improving connections for the region’s most economically disadvantaged residents. The future transit network will better connect people to jobs, healthcare providers, schools, grocery stores, parks and other essential destinations, but there are challenges in ensuring that the people who use and need access to public transportation the most have the opportunity to live, work, learn and play in transit-oriented communities.
The following five topics form the organizational structure for the atlas:
- Population and Demographic Characteristics of the Region
- Access to Affordable, Quality Housing Options
- Access to Jobs and Economic Development Opportunities
- Access to Educational Opportunities
- Access to Health Care, Healthy Foods, and Recreational Facilities
Data was collected from a variety of sources for seven counties in the Metro Denver region: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson. Geographic information system (GIS) software was then used to spatially analyze the data and produce maps for each topical area. Each map contains the current and future transit network, including high frequency bus routes and rail lines, as the base map.
