TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON HEALTH

TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON HEALTH

Health and Transportation Air quality Climate change Safety Physical activity Access to food, medical care, employment

Policy Link & Prevention Institute Move focus of transportation policy and funding from mobility of cars and goods to Systems to serve people efficiently, affordably, and safely by Public transportation, walking and bicycling Linking low income communities to jobs and essential services

Local access to food Most of the areas in the County not adequately served by markets are areas with the lowest population and housing density. According to the 2010 Census, within Summit County, 84.9% of the population lives within one mile of a large or medium sized grocery store. Approximately 13% (9 of 68) of the large and medium sized grocery stores are not within a quarter mile of a bus stop. With the exception of several areas in Cuyahoga Falls and northwest Akron, almost all of the densest population areas of Akron, Barberton and Cuyahoga Falls are within manageable walking distance (onethird of a mile) of a bus route that will access a grocery store. METRO Transit offers special grocery trip routes to seniors living in 27 senior-oriented complexes.

Role of Place-making and Parking Walking is the simplest, easiest form of physical activity Walk Appeal Make it a part of lifestyle not a form of exercise Design our communities to enhance the walk appeal We will walk if there are places to walk to If the environment along the way is interesting

Walkability of place Beauty of building or landscape, preferably both Parks, public space and their placement, especially along good pedestrian routes Walking (or biking ) is the easy, common sense thing to do; make driving a car more of a pain slow, frustrating, parking not easy to find or cheap Destinations (good things to walk to), along the way beautiful residential streets or ones with lively mix of uses: single family, rentals, business, civic

Role of Place-making and Parking Design issues Building form Increase density Mix land uses Building form Build to the sidewalk edge Glass storefronts Parking in rear

Creating places worth walking in Bring buildings to sidewalk edge Glass fronts at first level Narrow building width

Creating places worth walking in Buildings to sidewalk edge Glass fronts to see in Narrow width of shops On street parking Slight setback for gathering/sitting

Creating places worth walking in Mix of uses Buildings to the sidewalk, glass at first floor Narrow storefronts Angled, on-street parking

Off-street Parking Location, design, cost High Cost of Free Parking Required of developers (not a bus stop, bike rack or path from public sidewalk) Expensive to provide, limits development Amount necessary of questionable validity Incentive to use car Location in front degrades place

Parking location Parking in rear Limited points of access

Parking location Place at rear or to the side of building

Parking location Build to the sidewalk edge Pass through to parking in rear On-street parking, angled

Parking location Place at rear of shops Provide interesting passage through to front

Priorities to improve health and equity Policy Link and Prevention Institute Prioritize investments in public transportation Prioritize investments in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure Create incentives to integrate land use and transportation planning Ensure that transportation plans account for impacts on health, safety and equity Provide flexibility in transportation funding categories to meet local needs

Priorities to improve health and equity Support development in clean bus and truck fleets and invest in rail infrastructure to improve air quality Advance safety for all travelers Support policies and programs that increase access to healthy foods Give low income rural communities access to public transportation funding