Oregon/Washington | Pop. 87,288 | 4 counties

As the lead agency for the Gorge TransLink Alliance, the district convenes a bi-state partnership of five rural transportation providers for the Columbia River Gorge region. The GOrge Pass is an affordable integrated fare system that gives users unlimited rides for a year on all fixed-route transit services in the region. The pass program has enabled partnerships with human service organizations to provide free passes to individuals who qualify. A portion of each pass purchase is directed to the Gorge Equity Fund.

In northeast Ohio, the Fund for Our Economic Future brings together philanthropic, civic, and community leaders to develop long-term, equitable economic solutions. In 2019, the Paradox Prize catalyzed a public competition to identify efficient, affordable, and accessible transportation solutions for the region. Winning ideas included workforce development partnerships, non-profit electric car-sharing services, and ondemand car-pooling options in rural areas.

North Carolina | Pop. 434,748 | 4 counties

Crafted by the council, the Bridging the Digital Divide Digital Inclusion Plan is a comprehensive plan to increase and diversify broadband access in their region. To create the plan, the council enacted a formal process including a large regional forum, in-depth focus group meetings, and stakeholder engagement across the region. Results include the development of six laptop and hot spot lending pilots, the installation of free Wi-Fi in ten community centers, three downtown Wi-Fi access points, and providing devices to individuals pursuing education who are justice-involved or in recovery programs.

North Carolina | Pop. 2,288,454 | 9 counties

As shared in their 2023 CEDS, staff looked beyond just the cost of transportation to develop a transit equity portal that incorporated new metrics for vehicle accessibility, transit propensity, and persistent poverty. As part of the larger CONNECT Beyond Mobility Initiative, these metrics look at needs in the region’s urban and rural communities.

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance has curated an introductory set of resources, videos, and approaches in their Digital Inclusion 101 primer.

From the Urban Institute, this guide provides sample evaluation metrics for transportation access, including sources for demographic, mobility, economic, health and housing data. The guide aligns these metrics to the four core federal funding priorities in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Explore the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s research, map, and podcast that explore the creation of local community-owned networks.

A map compiling multiple data sources nationally to create the most to-date map of broadband availability, speeds and pricing at the local level.

From the Center for Neighborhood Technology, this index provides a comprehensive view of affordability that includes both the cost of housing and the cost of transportation at the neighborhood level.

From the Center for Neighborhood Technology, the compiled metrics and maps provide a robust set of transit connectivity, access, and frequency data across the United States.

A report from NGIN that looks at connections and models across BIPOC wealth creation, economic mobility, and digital access.

As Internet Service Providers seek to maximize profits, there is continued underinvestment in lower-income neighborhoods and communities, which are disproportionally communities of color. As Internet Service Providers prioritize investments based on wealth and competition, low-income communities are paying more for slower internet service than higher-income areas, if there is even basic infrastructure available. As with historical redlining, where systemic racism and discrimination withheld loans for housing, these systems, through digital redlining, are continuing to influence who has broadband access and their cost and speed of service. Learn more from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.

From The Mark-Up, an investigative journalism piece illustrates how Internet Service Providers prioritize investments based on wealth and competition, low-income communities are paying more for slower nternet service than higher-income areas, if there is even basic infrastructure available.

Massachusetts | Pop. 4,432,617 | 5 counties

In their 2020 CEDS, the council focused on the issues of equity and inclusion by defining terms, explaining their importance, and framing goals around these issues. Their process and plan have three major themes: racial equity, economic resilience, and climate resilience.

Louisiana | Pop. 604,726 | 7 counties

To better understand the impacts of local broadband gaps, the commission conducted a baseline assessment of broadband services throughout the region and developed an action plan for improvements. Ultimately, the commission secured more than $33 million in public and private investment to expand highspeed broadband access to rural communities in the region. Once constructed, these projects will halve the number of parishes in the region without reliable broadband.

Georgia | Pop. 369,115 | 16 counties

During COVID-19 school closures, the commission supported study connectivity by building on a previous geospatial analysis of the Georgia Broadband Deployment Initiative’s broadband availability data and identified areas with students most at risk from a lack of broadband access. The Macon County School System used this data and funding from the Georgia Department of Education to install 14 wireless routers that enabled over 700 students to access the internet at the speeds necessary to support online attendance.