Transportation Issues

Community design impacts both health and health equity. Improving two key elements of community design, transportation and land use patterns, through effective policies and practice, can benefit health and save in health care costs. Policies that improve traffic safety and reduce crash risk, increase opportunities for physical activity, and decrease harmful air emissions, are critical.

To date, conventional transportation planning has given relatively little consideration to the effects of transportation and land-use policies and decisions on human health– in fact, associated health costs are often understated. With national health care expenditures surpassing $2 trillion annually in 2006 (about 16% GDP), and projected to constitute 17% of GDP by 2011, transportation and land use strategies that improve, not harm health, can be an important part of the solution to the health care crisis. Policies that benefit and improve health will help to alleviate the increasingly high demands on an already overextended health care system. 

The following resources provide additional information on the link between health and transportation and APHA's advocacy efforts to ensure that transportation policy helps, rather than hinders, public health.

• America Breathing Easier: Working Together, We Can Alleviate the Burden of Asthma and Keep America Breathing Easier
• At the Intersection of Public Health and Transportation: Promoting Healthy Transportation Policy
• (NEW) The Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Transportation Reform in America, a report by PolicyLink and Prevention Institute and commissioned by the Convergence Partnership

APHA Letters and News:

• Coalition letter encouraging senators to support the Clean Low-Emission Affordable New Transportation Efficiency Act, S. 575 (June 29, 2009)
• Coalition letter in support of the Federal Transportation Policy and Planning Act of 2009 (June 2, 2009)
• Press Release: APHA Joins National Coalition in Issuing Transportation Reform Blueprint (May 21, 2009)
• Coalition letter in support of addressing transportation policy in climate change legislation (April 24, 2009)
• Coalition letter in support of the Complete Streets Act of 2009 (March 17, 2009)
• Coalition letter in support of Sen. Schumer's amendment to the economic recovery bill that would provide $6.5 billion for public transportation projects (February 3, 2009)
• Coalition letter asking Congress to include in the economic stimulus legislation funding for fuel efficient, low-carbon and health-enhancing transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects (December 19, 2008)

Related APHA Policies:

• Reducing the Burden of Poor Health and Health Inequities Through Transportation and Land Use Policies (#LB-08-03)
• Creating Policies on Land Use and Transportation Systems that Promote Public Health (#2004-04)