The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) has signed the Utah Compact on Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, which provides the foundation for advancing transit equity in the region, as well as developing engagement processes that provide communities with more equitable opportunities to participate in decisions essential to their mobility.
Joining this compact also provides UTA the opportunity to acknowledge the importance of creating a society in which race and ethnicity do not determine or limit value, opportunity and life outcomes.
By signing the compact, UTA pledges its commitment to the following five key anti-racist principles and actions:
1. Acknowledgement and action – UTA acknowledges that racism exists, and its actions make a difference. UTA calls out racism wherever it is seen and takes purposeful steps to stop it.
2. Investment – UTA invests its time and resources to create greater opportunity for people of color. Eliminating racial and ethnic disparities requires significant effort and investment.
3. Public policies and listening – UTA advances solutions to racial ills by listening and creating policies that provide equal opportunity and access to education, employment, housing and healthcare.
4. Engagement – UTA engages to effect change. Broader engagement, equitable representation and deeper connection across social, cultural and racial lines will uphold the principle – “nothing about us, without us.”
5. Movement, not a moment – Utahns unite behind a common goal to create equal opportunity. UTA affirms its commitment will not just be a passing moment, but a legacy movement of social, racial and economic justice.
UTA says it recognizes that it must do everything it can to ensure its work fosters a more just future for all. This includes examining policies, practices and decisions with a renewed vision of equity, access and opportunity.
Additionally, pledging support of the compact is an important part of UTA's larger commitment to creating a more inclusive community and workplace. More specifically, it aligns with its recent organizational restructure and the development of the Office of Planning and Engagement. This office is committed to creating equitable access to opportunities through public transit. Within the agency, UTA will advance workplace inclusivity through Equal Employment Opportunity efforts and a continued focus on building a culture of inclusion and belonging.
The UTA says it is proud to join other Utahns in uniting behind a common goal to create equal opportunity and social, racial and economic justice.
