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EAC subcommittee to compile survey results, draft equity mission and vision for Dec. 4 meeting; October minutes approved
Summary
The California Transportation Commission Equity Advisory Committee subcommittee agreed to compile limited survey results, synthesize October workshop notes and present draft mission and vision language at the Dec. 4 EAC meeting; the group also approved the October meeting minutes by roll call.
The Equity Advisory Committee subcommittee for the California Transportation Commission agreed to compile survey responses and workshop notes and to prepare a draft mission and vision statement for the full EAC to consider at the Dec. 4 meeting.
At the start of the meeting the subcommittee adopted the October meeting minutes after a motion moved by Michelle Rousey and seconded by Cheryl Villegas Walker. Chair Martha Armes Kelly called the item approved following a voice roll call.
Members and staff focused the rest of the meeting on next steps for completing an equity vision and mission. Staff member Sequoia reported that the survey deadline had been extended to the following day and that five responses had been received so far. "We currently have 5 people who have responded to the survey," Sequoia said, and encouraged all subcommittee members to complete the survey before it closed so results could be compiled ahead of the December executive meeting.
Several members urged the subcommittee to draw language from multiple submissions and outside models rather than rely on a single draft. Cheryl Villegas Walker’s submission asked the committee to pursue a "systemic and transformative commitment to advancing equity in California's transportation policies and planning activities," calling for priorities around funding allocation, project prioritization, elimination of barriers and community outreach. Andres Ramirez submitted language framing transportation equity as addressing "long-term impacts resulting from decades of racist planning," and asked that the committee prioritize funding and projects that benefit BIPOC communities.
Members debated process and tone: some said the committee should explicitly call out past discriminatory policies, while others preferred aspirational language focused on practical deliverables. "We need to identify who we are, who we are representing," Chair Martha Armes Kelly said, emphasizing a need for clarity about audience and outcomes.
Staff and members agreed on a multi-step approach: finish the survey push, synthesize input from the October workshop and survey responses into recurring themes, and circulate a short set of proposed mission/vision bullets in advance of the Dec. 4 meeting. The subcommittee discussed using a small working group to draft language and then soliciting feedback from the full EAC; staff said it would compile the results and distribute them to the subcommittee after the survey closes.
The meeting closed with staff confirming they would send reminders, provide the compiled survey summary, and include workshop materials in advance of the next full EAC meeting.
