Complete streets promoting health equity in communities

Second in a series on health equity, which ties into the theme of APHA’s 2018 Annual Meeting and Expo: “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health Equity Now.”

Transportation says a lot about community equity. The options available for people to get around reflect a community’s values and how it supports its most vulnerable members. If driving is the primary — or only — means of transportation, people who are already disadvantaged suffer from a lack of mobility.

A community that promotes health equity provides adequate modes of transportation for all users. Pedestrians, public transit riders, bicyclists and others can all get around safely and easily in such an environment. A “complete streets” approach ensures that such mobility conditions are met, making for more liveable communities.

Under the complete streets model, all forms of transportation are considered in street design and policy. People of all ages, abilities and income levels can get where they need to go when complete streets are implemented. Depending on the community, features of a complete streets project could include widened sidewalks, road shoulders or bicycle lanes.

Continue reading this story from the August 2018 issue of The Nation’s Health.

Photo by Steve Davis, courtesy Transportation for America