Description

Investments in transportation have the potential to significantly affect public health outcomes. Decisions to build highways, transit, or bikeways, for example, influence how residents and visitors move around a metropolitan area. Personal travel habits and proximity to transportation infrastructure play a role in how likely people are to be physically active or be exposed to dangerous traffic and toxic pollution. For this study, the research team reviewed the literature that links transportation infrastructure, the surrounding built environment context, and public health outcomes such as chronic heart and lung diseases, obesity, and death. The team then researched publicly available data that planners could use to inform decision-makers about the public health effects of funding certain investments. Finally, the team reviewed the guidelines of existing discretionary grant programs administered by the California Transportation Commission (CTC), and proposed improvements that would better incorporate available data on public health for consideration. These steps can positively influence funding decision-making for better public health outcomes in California.

Publication Date

1-2023

Publication Type

Report

Topic

Active Transportation

Digital Object Identifier

10.31979/mti.2023.2150

MTI Project

2150

Keywords

Transportation, Public health, Active transport, Livability, Public transit

Disciplines

Public Health | Transportation

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