DOT removed the Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer from its website in late January. On April 15, 2025, several public interest groups challenged the removal of the ETC Explorer. On March 13, 2026, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit holding the public interest groups lacked standing. Sierra Club v. EPA, Docket No. 25-1112 (D.C. Cir. 2025).
Background
DOT launched the Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer as part of the Justice40 Initiative. The ETC is an interactive web mapping tool that compiles location data based on transportation insecurity, climate and disaster risk burden, environmental burden, health vulnerability, and social vulnerability.