Public Transit, Public Health
"Driving a private car is probably a
typical citizen's most 'polluting' daily activity, yet in many cases,
individuals have few alternative forms of transportation. Thus urban
planning and smart growth are imperative."
--
American Academy of Pediatrics, Ambient Air Pollution: Health Hazards to
Children.
The Coalition for Transportation Choices
is an alliance of 37 organizations all working to improve Rhode
Island's transit system -- including busses, trains and trolleys -- and
build more walkable and bikeable communities. During the next several
months, we will feature member organizations, highlighting their
programs, progress
and challenges. This week, we feature a report from the Rhode Island Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (RICOSH), a non-profit resource center for occupational and environmental health and safety.
Fueled by growing anxiety about epidemics of chronic diseases such as asthma, obesity, and diabetes, there is an increasing recognition that the design of our transportation system imposes an environment that can cause illness, disability and injury. Recently the American Public Health Association has officially joined with Transportation for America to highlight the role that advocacy for public transit plays in overall public health.
Here's why.
Traffic Danger Limits Physical Activity
Lack of physical activity is seen as a critical environmental enabling factor that accelerates the explosive increase of obesity and associated ills, especially among children. Opportunities to be physically active have been engineered out of much of our society. This is reflected in one instance by the drastic decline in the percent of children who walk or bike to school. Fewer than 6 percent of kids walk or
bike to school, compared with 66 percent in 1974.
To combat obesity the U.S. surgeon general recommends at least 30 minutes of walking or bicycling a day the equivalent of 1.5 miles of walking, or a commute by bicycle of 5 miles round trip.
When parents are asked what prevents their children from walking to school, the second most commonly mentioned factor is traffic danger, which is also a key reason parents give for restricting children from playing outside.
In 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 2,832 children under 16 were killed by motor vehicles, 524 walking, 193 on bicycles.
In urban traffic environments daily average carbon monoxide concentrations can rise to levels that produce neurobehavioral effects including impaired coordination and cognitive performance -- and correlate suspiciously with admissions to hospital for heart failure and coronary artery disease.
Numerous studies link motor vehicle exhaust to respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Long term exposure to particulate matter (PM) is associated with increased risk of bronchitis, reduced lung function and lung disease.
Case Study: Expanded Transit Service At The 1996 Olympics in Atlanta
A simple intervention was conducted during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. With more than 1 million visitors expected for the event, Atlanta implemented a 24-hour public transit system, adding
1000 more buses, having local businesses use alternative work hours and
telecommuting, closing the downtown sector to private automobile use,
altering downtown delivery schedules and warning the public of potential
traffic and air quality problems.
During this time, public transportation use increased by 217% while peak weekday morning traffic counts decreased by 22.5%.
CDC investigators decided to find out what impact that policy might have on air quality and asthma in the surrounding neighborhoods. Asthma acute-care events decreased 41.6 percent as measured by Medicaid claims, asthma events in a local
health-maintenance organization declined 44.1 percent, two pediatric-emergency departments saw an 11.1 percent drop, and admissions for asthma as measured by
the Georgia Hospital Discharge Database and fell by 19.1 percent.
The Health Threats From Global Warming
Anticipated health impacts from
rising global temperatures include anticipated increases in severe water
and insect related disease; and cascading dire impacts from flooding
and population migrations.
Our current transit system, which does not do enough to encourage the use of public transit, is a major contributor to global warming.
Global warming gases coming out of tailpipes from passenger cars, light and heavy trucks, and SUVs contribute 23.2% of total US Greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In the Northeast, the percentage trends upwards to 30-40%, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.
A little planning could make a huge difference. The Urban Land Institute says that if 60% of new development is built to minimize driving -- and instead encourages walking, biking and using public transit -- up to 85 million metric tons of carbon gas emissions could be saved each year by 2030.
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About the Coalition for Transportation Choices
The Coalition for Transportation Choices (CTC) calls for a 21st century transportation system that enhances our economy and provides all Rhode Islanders with healthy transportation choices. Visit
our website
to get more information about the Coalition for Transportation Choices.
Rhode Island's 21st century transportation system must provide all people - employees, tourists, youth, elderly, able and disabled - with safe and dependable access to their community's opportunities for work, education, services, and recreation. The system should be considerably less dependent on cars and fossil fuels as well as efficient, effective and easy to use. It should minimize impacts to land, water and air and improve the health and well-being of all Rhode Islanders. Such a system should be sustained with predictable and consistent funding for operation and future growth.
CTC's work is supported
by the Rhode Island Foundation, The Prospect Hill Foundation and Third
Sector New England's Capacity Building Fund
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Coalition for Transportation Choices
Member Groups
- AARP
- American Lung Association
- Audubon Society of Rhode Island
- Childhood Lead Action Project
- City-State, the Urban Design Lab at RISD
- Clean Water Action
- Conservation Law Foundation
- Cornish Associates
- Ecolect
- Environmental Justice League of RI
- Grow Smart RI
- Head of the Bay Gateway
- LISC-RI
- Narragansett Bay Estuary Program
- Providence Foundation
- RI Association of Railroad Passengers
- RI Land Trust Council
- RICOSH
- Save The Bay
- SEIU, District 1199
- Sierra Club
- Working Rhode Island
- Amalgamated Transit Union
- Pawtucket Foundation
- The Blackstone Valley Partnership
- Recycle-A-Bike
- Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition
- DOT Watch
- Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living
- Blueways Alliance
- Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Sierra Club
- East Coast Greenway Alliance
- Rhode Island Student Climate Coalition
- Brown emPower
- Youth in Action
- RI Interfaith Power and Light
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