DRAFT - TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH Backgrund/Intrductin Transprtatin Outlk 2040, the Kansas City regin s lng-range transprtatin plan, includes a public health gal t facilitate healthy, active living. Expanding the availability f, safety fr, and access thrugh a variety f transprtatin ptins and integrating health-enhancing chices int transprtatin plicy has the ptential t save lives by preventing chrnic diseases, reduce and prevent mtr-vehicle-related injury and deaths, imprve envirnmental health, while stimulating ecnmic develpment, and ensure access fr all peple. Needs/Gaps Analysis The lack f physical activity is a majr cntributr t the steady rise in rates f besity, diabetes, heart disease, strke and ther chrnic health cnditins in the United States and the Kansas City regin. The US Centers fr Disease Cntrl and Preventin data fr 2009 shwed that all but ne f the area cunties had age-sadjusted besity rates (adults ver 20 years) greater than 25 percent. Jhnsn Cunty s rate was 23.6 percent. Seven f the nine cunties in the Kansas City regin had age-adjusted besity prevalence rates greater than 30 percent, including Wyandte Cunty at 37.9 percent. The CDC database als prvides similar infrmatin fr rates f diabetes. In 2009, age-adjuted diabetes rates in the regin ranged frm a lw f 6.4 percent f the ttal ppulatin in Platte Cunty t a high f 11.7 percent in Wyandte Cunty. Mst area cunties are between 8 and 10 percent. Many residents view walking and bicycling within their cmmunities as unsafe because f traffic and the lack f sidewalks, crsswalks, and bicycle facilities. Incrprating bicycle and pedestrian (active transprtatin and recreatin) infrastructure and facilities prmtes physical activity. There is strng evidence that this activity can lwer the risk f early death, heart disease, strke, high bld pressure, besity and type 2 diabetes. A recent study presented at the American Diabetes Assciatin cnference fund imprvements in reducing type 2 diabetes and besity fr 1
thse living in walkable neighbrhds. (http://medicalxpress.cm/news/2014-06-walkableneighbrhds-besity-diabetes.html) Physical activity can als reduce depressin and imprve cgnitive functin fr lder adults. The Kansas City regin experienced 539 deaths r serius injuries t pedestrians between 2008 and 2012, with 81 percent n city and cunty radways. In the first half f 2014, there were 11 pedestrian fatalities. In 2007, there were 5 bicycle-mtr vehicle fatalities in the metr area and 150 serius injuries. Mtr vehicle crashes cntinue t be the leading cause f injury-related death fr many age grups. Pedestrians and bicyclists are at an even greater risk f death frm crashes than thse wh travel by mtr vehicles. A lack f efficient alternatives t autmbile travel disprprtinately affects vulnerable ppulatins such as the pr, the elderly, peple wh have disabilities and children by limiting access t jbs, health care, scial interactin, parks and healthy fds. Residents in sme Kansas City area neighbrhds lack access t grcery stres. This makes the purchase f healthy fd items, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables, mre challenging. Amng area cunties, 84.1 percent f Wyandtte Cunty s ppulatin des nt cnsume adequate amunts f fruits and vegetables, and all cunties are ver 78 percent (the US average is 76 percent). Transprtatin systems can supprt individuals in leading a healthy life by imprving access t recreatinal 2
pprtunities, healthy fds and health care as well as jbs, educatin and ther necessities that imprve quality f life. Althugh mtr vehicle emissins have decreased significantly ver the past three decades, air pllutin frm mtr vehicles cntinues t cntribute t the degradatin f ur envirnment and adverse respiratry and cardivascular health effects. Strategies Prmte Active Transprtatin Active transprtatin systems shuld cnnect the places where peple live, learn, wrk, shp, and play by prviding safe and cnvenient walking and bicycling facilities. The Mid-America Reginal Cuncil and a number f lcal gvernments in the Kansas City regin have adpted Cmplete Streets plicies, and bicycle, pedestrian and trails facility plans. The adptin and implementatin f these plicies culd increase pprtunities fr safe active transprtatin and physical activity by children and adults. Encurage adptin and implementatin f Cmplete Streets plicies t ensure that all users f a transprtatin crridr are able t safely use the crridr. Prmte safe and cnvenient pprtunities fr physical activity by implementing measures, such as: Well-lit sidewalks, shared-use paths, and recreatinal trails Safe radway crssings fr pedestrians and bicyclists Safe pedestrian and bicycling cnnectins t public transprtatin Safe and cnvenient pedestrian and bicycling cnnectins t public park and recreatin areas Prmte Safe Rutes t Schl initiatives including supprtive infrastructure t ensure that children can walk and bicycle safely t schl Bring health, transprtatin and cmmunity planners tgether t develp safe, cnvenient, and cmplete pedestrian and bicycle master plans, including an inventry f current sidewalks, bicycle facilities, recreatinal trails, and shared-use paths, which can be incrprated int city general plans and capital imprvement prgrams. 3
Encurage Healthy Cmmunity Design Healthy cmmunity design incrprates elements (such as transprtatin netwrks, street designs, and zning/land use plicies) that wrk synergistically t prmte health and safety. Encurage the adptin f transprtatin and land use planning plicies that encurage transit-riented and mixed-use develpments. Encurage: Dense netwrks f cnnected streets which serve the needs f all transprtatin mdes Design radways that include rbust infrastructure fr bicycling and walking while mitigating the ptential adverse effects f mtr vehicle travel Cnsider design measures t prtect residents frm lcal air pllutin and nise frm high-vlume radways. Encurage cmmunity design that lcates destinatins fr children (such as schls, parks, and libraries) within neighbrhds s that children can reach destinatins withut having t crss busy streets. Wrk with federal, state, and lcal transprtatin fficials t ensure that all peple have access t safe, healthy, cnvenient, and affrdable transprtatin ptins regardless f age, incme and ther sciecnmic factrs. Prmte the use f technical tls develped thrugh MARC s Creating Sustainable Places prgram t allw lcal cmmunities t evaluate varius land use scenaris. Design t Minimize Adverse Health and Safety Cnsequences In sme circumstances, a slutin t ne prblem may exacerbate anther prblem. Fr example, active transprtatin imprves health verall by prviding physical activity and reducing emissins, hwever, the emphasis n vehicular travel in ur current transprtatin system results in pedestrians and bicyclists t disprprtinately suffer frm injuries. Therefre, increasing active transprtatin may increase the abslute numbers f injuries unless prtective and alternate mde infrastructure and plicies are cncurrently implemented. 4
Supprt plicies that prtect pedestrians and bicyclists frm mtr vehicle crashes: Design streets t reduce mtr vehicle speeds and minimize pedestrian and bicycle injuries Implement multimdal level f service indicatrs as perfrmance measures fr radways that include measurements f pedestrian, bicyclists, and public transprtatin perability Crrect existing hazards and enhance infrastructure fr pedestrians and bicyclists Implement traffic-calming measures. Reduce traffic speeds in neighbrhds. Encurage cmmunities t cnsider health impacts as part f transprtatin planning. Health impact assessments (HIAs) and safety audits may be a useful tl t identify the impact f a new plicy, prgram r majr transprtatin prject n cmmunity and individual health. Accunt fr pedestrian and bicycle vulnerabilities with streetscape design, placing an emphasis n increased visibility, rute signage, and buffer znes. Imprve the perceived safety at transit stps thrugh use f crime preventin thrugh envirnmental design techniques Ensure adequate lighting n radways, alng trails, and in parks and trail markers fr 9-1- 1 alng trails. Reduce injuries assciated with mtr vehicle crashes Mtr vehicle travel has becme safer ver time, but mtr vehicle crashes are still the leading cause f death fr peple ages 1 34. Imprving the safety and efficiency f mtr vehicles and their ccupants is critical t imprving transprtatin plicy and the public s health. Transprtatin plicies are needed t imprve the safety f mtr vehicles and their ccupants t prevent crashes, and advances in medical care are needed t increase the survivability f victims f crashes that d ccur. Implement, strengthen, and/r cntinue t use effective interventins that imprve rad traffic safety. Examples f interventins include: Lwer speed limits and ther effrts t reduce speeding within cmmunities. Radway design measures such as installatin f centerline rumble strips Educatin n safe driving, bicycling, and walking Cmmunity designs that prmte reduced traffic speeds in neighbrhds Bring health, transprtatin and cmmunity planners tgether t address radway safety issues thrugh cmmunity design. 5
Imprve Air Quality Transprtatin-related air pllutants are ne f the largest cntributrs t unhealthy air quality. Expsure t traffic emissins has been linked t many adverse health effects including: premature mrtality, cardiac symptms, exacerbatin f asthma symptms, diminished lung functin, increased hspitalizatin and thers. Mtr vehicles are a significant surce f air pllutin in urban areas. Reduce human expsure t transprtatin-related air pllutin and the adverse health impacts assciated with air pllutants by: Retrfit existing diesel vehicles with current pllutin cntrl measures t reduce emissins. Require effective inspectin and maintenance prgrams fr medium- and heavyduty vehicles. Encurage mtr vehicle drivers t purchase vehicles with technlgies designed t cntrl pllutin and reduce emissins. Seek slutins t reduce pllutin generated by prts, high-vlume radways and railrads Prmte transprtatin chices and innvative transprtatin measures that reduce emissins Supprt plicies that reduce envirnmental pllutin (including greenhuse gas emissins) by changing t renewable energy surces, strengthening fuel efficiency plicies, and expanding prgrams that reduce the number f vehicles in the fleet with pr fuel ecnmy. Expand Public Transprtatin The availability and use f public transprtatin systems ffer the pprtunity t reduce the necessity fr single ccupancy vehicle trips, reduce the prductin f mtr vehicle emissins, increase incidental physical activity, and prvide necessary transprtatin access fr peple with physical, ecnmic, r ther limitatins that impede their access t and use f a single ccupancy mtr vehicle. Plicies that encurage public transprtatin infrastructure are needed t imprve access fr all peple. Imprve public transprtatin systems t supprt psitive health utcmes Plan imprvements t public transit services t increase access t healthy fd retail utlets and health care facilities, particularly frm neighbrhds with high cncentratins f husehlds lacking mtr vehicles Encurage lcal gvernments t develp and implement land use plicies that encurage transit-riented develpment and ther mixed-use develpment, and increase cnnectivity amng neighbrhds and cmmunities fr all transprtatin mdes. Wrk with lcal gvernments and transit peratrs t increase access and safety fr bicycling and walking t public transprtatin statins by making these cnnecting trips easier, faster, and safer. Prvide bicycle strage at public transprtatin statins and bus stps 6
Assess and address safety hazards fr pedestrians and bicyclists thrugh safety measures such as well-lighted crsswalks and signal timing, and integrating thse safety enhancements fr pedestrian and bicycle access t public transprtatin statins and bus stps Remve barriers t pedestrians and bicyclists n rads and intersectins near public transprtatin statins and bus stps Enhance the public transprtatin system t accmmdate bicyclists Require Research and Surveillance Data and evaluatin are critical t ensure that we have rbust infrmatin n the impact f transprtatin systems n health as well as t determine whether interventins have their intended effect. Supprt research t better understand the relatinships between transprtatin, health and safety utcmes. Supprt public health data cllectin and analysis activities fr active transprtatin and public transprtatin. Examples include: Imprved specificity f external cause-f-injury cdes fr transprtatin-related deaths, hspitalizatins, and emergency department visits t capture infrmatin n traffic-relatedness, vehicle type, and ccupant status Cmprehensive cunts f deaths and imprved data estimates f injuries related t all mdes f transprtatin, including pedestrians and bicyclists Systematic cunts f users f all mdes f transprtatin, including pedestrians and bicyclists Targeted cmmunity level data t track the impact f plicies, prgrams, and services Enhance travel demand mdeling capability t reflect all mdes f transprtatin Encurage the inclusin f health- and safety-related questins in transprtatin surveys, particularly the travel diary study. 7