It connects us to schools, housing, health care, grocery stores, and most importantly, jobs. But millions of poor people and people of color live in communities where quality transportation options are unaffordable, unreliable, or just totally nonexistent. We believe this fact must change.

America should a place where everyone has access to opportunity, where everyone can get to work or a grocery store without breaking the bank or enduring long, brutal commutes. Everyone should have access to a variety of transportation options. The air should be clean and the streets safe for everyone, no matter their zip code, income level or skin color.

Isn’t America supposed to be the land of opportunity?

Today, Transportation for America is proud to join the nation’s leading civil rights, community development, racial justice, economic justice, faith-based, health, housing, labor, environmental justice, tribal, and transportation organizations to launch the Equity Caucus at Transportation for America.

Join us to take a stand for transportation policies that advance economic and social equity in America. Sign the transportation equity pledge.

Each year, the United States spends hundreds of billions of dollars on transportation projects. What we build, where we put it, who builds it, how we operate it, what energy powers it — all of these decisions have an enormous impact on our communities, economy, health, and climate. Today our investments have left many Americans behind.

We’re calling for transportation policies that build a nation where all people can participate and prosper. Together, we endorse these simple 4 steps toward making our transportation system work for everyone:

• Create affordable transportation options for all people.
• Ensure fair access to quality jobs, workforce development, and contracting opportunities in the transportation industry.
• Promote healthy, safe, and inclusive communities.
• Invest equitably and focus on results.

Join us in calling for a new direction for our nation’s transportation policy – one that ensures everyone participates and prospers. Sign the pledge and become part of the growing coalition of people fighting for transportation justice across the country.

There are many reasons smarter growth makes sense. By building more sustainably and closer to where people work and shop and plan, we reduce hours stuck in traffic and make it easier to reach life’s necessities.

But there is something even more important at stake: our health. According to new data from the American Lung Association in California, smart growth policies can prevent 140 premature deaths and 105,500 asthma attacks every year in that state. The figures resulted from looking at a proposed 2035 planning scenario for California that prioritized more compact and sustainable development with better transportation options.

Changing how we build and plan would also relieve our communities of $1.66 billion in public health costs. It would also prevent:

•    260 heart attacks
•    215 acute bronchitis incidents
•    95 cases of chronic bronchitis
•    2,370 asthma attacks
•    101,960 other respiratory symptoms
•    205 respiratory ER trips and hospitalizations
•    16,550 lost work days
•    132,190 tons of criteria pollutants

Chelsea Allinger discussed the link between smart growth and active living over at Smart Growth America:

Like many Americans, I grew up knowing only one type of community design — drivable suburbia. In my community, exercise wasn’t something that happened naturally over the course of the day. It required carving out designated time slots from a crowded schedule.

Frankly, that didn’t happen as often as it should.

Since that time, I’ve learned that cultivating a more active lifestyle doesn’t have to mean finding a 25th hour in the day. Moving to a walkable, mixed-use, smart growth community quite literally changed my life — with, as it turns out, more significant health benefits than I’d initially realized.

Here is Dr. Sonal Patel in Capitol Weekly, discussing why many of her colleagues in health care also see the connection:

Most California cities were designed to make it easy to drive and park cars. Homes were separated from stores, workplaces and other commercial activities. The unwitting result was sprawling cities that maximize the amount of miles we drive and the time we sit idling in traffic and that minimize healthier options like walking, biking or public transit.

In the past decade, California has been on the cutting-edge of efforts to build more sustainably and closer to transit. In 2008, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 375, which required local communities to include greenhouse gas reduction targets in their land-use and transportation planning policies.

The Centers for Disease Control deserves credit for prioritizing increased seat-belt use and reductions in impaired driving as paramount to traffic safety. Where CDC and other agencies fall short, as Greater Greater Washington points out, is the role of traffic itself in health outcomes, rather than simply traffic safety. Ken Archer writes:

The flaw in this exclusive focus on traffic safety is that increased safety only matters when vehicle miles traveled (VMT) are kept static or reduced. Instead, safety improvements that reduce fatalities per VMT have been offset by rising VMT.

Ken is exactly right. Under the status quo, vehicle-miles-traveled will continue to rise, offsetting much of the progress we make on safety-related measures. Until we build roads to safely accomodate all users, whether in cars, on foot, bike or transit, Americans will continue to be at risk. Streetsblog asked why traffic reduction isn’t a top public health concern. That’s a question we hope more will start asking.

A healthier transportation system for America’s kids requires change in federal policy. But change will remain out of our grasp absent a sense of urgency from the everyday people on the ground.

The need for a meeting point between policymakers in Washington and citizens in their neighborhoods was evident in today’s roundtable on childhood obesity, titled “Keeping Kids Moving,” sponsored by Transportation for America, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity, The Convergence Partnership and PolicyLink.

We’re facing an epidemic of childhood obesity and poor health, and as a few people pointed out, this could very well be a generation of children who live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents if we don’t act now to change things.

The shape and structure of streets, sidewalks and the ability to safely use them has an enormous impact on whether children become overweight or obese. Kids get more physical activity and lead healthier lives when they can bike and walk to school, play in local parks and reach recreational opportunities with ease. Among American children between the ages of 10 and 17, 32 percent are overweight or obese, and many are at risk for more serious conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Obesity rates are disproportionately high among low-income and minority children.

In search of a solution, many routes invariably lead to transportation policy.

During the panel, several federal officials stressed the need for partnerships that cross departments and jurisdictions, with Roy Kienitz, undersecretary for policy at the Department of Transportation quipping, “transportation is too important to be left to transportation professionals.” Kienitz also emphasized the need for Americans to speak up and utilize the democratic process, noting that “the distance between the top [at DOT] and that sidewalk on your street is vast.”

Chip Johnson, mayor of Hernando, Mississippi, knows just how much of a difference one repair can make. As part of a broader push to repair his town’s streets, Johnson oversaw the pouring of concrete for a new sidewalk right outside his office window. On the old, cracked sidewalk, Johnson used to see a handful of pedestrians every morning, but he saw dozens more walking by once the improvements were completed.

“People want to exercise,” said Johnson, a Republican first elected mayor in 2005, adding that it’s up to officials like him to provide them the chance to do it.

keepkidsmoving2 Originally uploaded by Transportation for America

While people like Undersecretary Kienitz, Special Assistant to the President Martha Coven and others are moving the levers where they can in Washington, local officials like Johnson are stepping up and refusing to wait, behavior encouraged by the federal officials who were present.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean didn’t wait for Washington. He made safe and accessible streets for all users a top priority and hired a director of healthy living initiatives — Adetonkunbo Omishakin, also a panel participant — to help make it happen in Nashville. Child wellness advocate Julia Lopez, herself a teenager, didn’t wait either. Along with being an instigator of change on the ground around her home of southern California, she has traveled the country to bring a youth perspective to the obesity challenge, calling on elected officials to step up and help make healthy transportation the norm, not the exception.

It’s clear that these advocates on the ground and policymakers at the top can meet in the middle to make real change, but it will take continued pressure on Congress from both ends to get the job done.

That is the conclusion of F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2010, a new report sponsored by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Most striking about the report are the persistent demographic and geographic disparities in obesity rates, as well as rising rates among children. One’s zip code or income should never be the greatest determinant of health.

In 40 states and the District of Columbia, adult obesity rates were higher for blacks and Latinos than whites. The South was home to 10 out of the 11 states with highest obesity rates — Mississippi clocked in on top with 33.8 percent of adults considered obese. And, accounting for income, 35.3 percent of adults earning less than $15,000 per year were obese, as opposed to 24.5 percent of adults earning more than $50,000 per year.

Childhood obesity rates were up, but fluctuated by state, from just 10 percent in Wyoming to 21 percent in Kentucky. You can view a complete map with obesity rates in all 50 states and the district here.

The authors write:

Reversing the obesity epidemic will require individuals, families, schools, communities, businesses, government, and every other sector of American society to reduce the barriers to healthy eating and active living. Every American must have the chance to lead a healthy lifestyle.

F is for Fat’s transportation plank calls for a bold and comprehensive reauthorization of the surface transportation law, similar to the draft proposal released by key House chairman Jim Oberstar last year. The report compels Congress to act on Complete Streets legislation to ensure that people who walk, bike and use transit can use roadways safely, and a reauthorization of the Safe Routes to School program, in hopes of reversing the trend of more and more kids getting driven to class each day.

The report also identifies three legislative vehicles for reorienting our transportation policy and increasing travel options.

The Active Communities Transportation Act would give cities and localities added funds for increasing walking and biking rates and making it safer. The National Transportation Objectives Act would attach safety, efficiency and economic competitiveness benchmarks to federal dollars, making our transportation spending much more accountable to the taxpayers. And the CLEAN TEA bill would cap greenhouse gas emissions and target revenue toward clean transportation projects that can get us where we need to go while reducing emissions at the same time.

As the report points out, we are already moving forward on a number of fronts and many policymakers get it.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 signed by President Obama earlier this year funds a number of wellness and prevention programs that have the potential to be expanded. A number of states have taken steps toward healthier school lunches, and Congress may act on legislation as well. And First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign is calling attention to how we can ensure children live healthier lives, including through walking, bike and physical activity.

To view the entire report, you can visit the Trust for America’s Health website here.

As we celebrate the birth of our country this Fourth of July, we should also honor the men and women who have served in uniform. Keeping our promise to America’s veterans means giving them the resources they need when they return home, and that includes their transportation needs.

All veterans rely on a diverse network of travel options, but disabled and rural veterans in particular need a transportation policy that increases their mobility to find employment, commute to work and access regular medical care for both chronic and acute conditions.

Access to automobiles and driving are strongly correlated with employment opportunities. Among veterans with spinal cord injuries, only 16 percent of those unable to drive were able to obtain permanent employment, compared with 58 percent of those who could drive themselves to work. These disabled and injured veterans need other options to get to work – and a new transportation bill can help them get there.

Many veterans endure chronic medical conditions or face long recoveries that require specialized medical care. In rural parts of New Hampshire and Vermont, for instance, 29 percent of veterans reported that travel considerations impacted their decision to access routine medical care, while 28 percent of veterans said transportation issues had impacted their access to care for chronic conditions.

The same study found that increased distance from health care treatment facilities was a statistically significant factor in explaining “care-seeking behavior.” Across several key categories, longer travel times from health care locations had a negative impact on a veteran’s ability to receive care. This included older veterans’ outpatient care, outpatient and inpatient care for veterans with spinal cord injuries, outpatient care after myocardial infarction, aftercare for substance abuse treatment and mental health resources.

The absence of other meaningful transportation options was even a factor in health categories such as routine immunizations and dental care. In a study analyzing why older veterans at risk for influenza did not comply with recommended vaccination protocols, 13 percent of respondents reported transportation difficulties as a major factor in their decision not to pursue immunization. With dental care, 55 percent of veterans who could drive independently or had access to public transit had visited the dentist within the last year, whereas 25 percent of homebound vets had not been to the dentist in more than five years.

There are many existing programs to help veterans get to VA hospitals, but it is clear these programs fall far short of the need. More than 37,000 men and women in uniform have been injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today more than ever, our veterans need America to invest in flexible, efficient transportation networks to allow access to crucial services.

Our veterans shouldn’t have to choose between driving to the VA or missing the medical care that they need and have unquestionably earned. That’s no choice at all.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama earlier this year was a step toward expanding health coverage while lowering costs. But there’s far more to be done. A truly comprehensive approach to health must account for transportation’s role in our levels of physical activity.

The American Public Health Association tackles that in a new report titled “The Hidden Health Costs of Transportation.”

For decades, Americans have made great use of the interstate highway system, but our transportation system is outdated and in need of retooling. The promise of convenient inter- and intra-city driving came with unseen drawbacks: long commutes and gridlock that keep Americans stuck in their cars and away from their families.

It doesn’t take a doctor to figure out sitting at work for eight hours a day and driving for another 1-2 can’t be all that good for you. Where we live and how we get there matters. The APHA put it well: “transportation investments and the systems that are developed from them shape lives and communities.”

It’s not just a lack of physical activity that ails us. Our current habits expose us to high asthma rates from pollution and unsafe streets for pedestrians and bicyclists, as outlined in our Dangerous by Design report last year.

So what needs to change? One place to start is by expanding transportation options. Driving will always be a necessity, but Americans have shown their desire for public transportation with their votes and feet. Pollsters found that 82 percent of American voters believe the U.S. would benefit from an improved and expanded public transportation system, and 79 percent of rural residents shared that sentiment as well. Build it and they actually will come, it turns out. The APHA writes:

An investment in a “healthier” transportation system is critical. Providing convenient alternatives, encouraging active modes of transport, and a establishing a transportation system that fosters connectivity and social interaction can not only offset health impacts and costs, but generate health benefits.

In addition to increasing access to other transportation options, the APHA also stresses that health impacts should be considered during the planning and decision-making stages of transportation projects to the fullest extent possible.

Growing recognition of the connection between transportation, land development and health has resulted in some studies and examples where health impacts and costs have been considered and assessed. These examples not only demonstrate that health costs should be a significant factor in decision-making, but also show that calculating such costs is indeed possible.

The APHA has laid out the reasons why our long-term health is distinctly linked to how we get around, and the passage of health care reform should serve an impetus to take the right next steps. Will Congress heed APHA’s counsel as the next surface transportation bill advances?

Two reports out this week highlight growing awareness of the integral link between health and transportation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Transportation Recommendations acknowledge what we at Transportation for America have stressed for months: not only is our nation’s approach to transportation outdated and inefficient, it also takes a toll on our health and quality of life. Being stuck in traffic and living in places with no chance to safely walk or bike is having a negative impact on our health, and the CDC points out that many Americans yearn for greater physical activity and choices for how they get around. The CDC sees this link between health and transportation as both a challenge and an opportunity.

Expanding the availability of, safety for, and access to a variety of transportation options and integrating health-enhancing choices into transportation policy has the potential to save lives by preventing chronic diseases, reducing and preventing motor-vehicle-related injury and deaths, improving environmental health, while stimulating economic development, and ensuring access for all people.

They recommend a series of changes to federal transportation policy, all of which correlate closely with Transportation for America’s goals. These include:

• Reducing injuries associated with motor vehicle crashes
• Encouraging healthy community design
• Promoting safe and convenient opportunities for physical activity by supporting active transportation infrastructure
• Reducing human exposure to air pollution and adverse health impacts associated with these pollutants
• Ensuring that all people have access to safe, healthy, convenient, and affordable transportation

The National Physical Activity Plan touches on many of these same subjects with an elegant and straightforward vision: “One day, all Americans will be physically active and they will live, work, and play in environments that facilitate regular physical activity.” According to the Plan’s research, the average American spent 64 minutes per day in a vehicle, and nearly three-quarters feel they have no choice but to drive as much as they do, a figure echoed by Transportation for America’s poll earlier this year.

Improving active transportation “will require many individuals and agencies – transportation engineers, city planners, architects, schools, health professionals, government agencies at all levels, community advocates, citizens, and employers – to rethink the way we plan and develop our communities,” according to the Plan’s text, stressing:

More transportation options can help us achieve our recommended levels of physical activity, while lowering pollution rates and increasing access to essential destinations like grocery stores, schools, jobs and health care services.

For more information on the National Physical Activity Plan, visit their main site here, or the Transportation section – which includes tactics for each of the four strategies here. You can read more about the CDC’s transportation recommendations here.

This is a great start, but there’s an omission: the task force has not emphasized the potential role for the U.S. Department of Transportation. The link between physical activity and the built environment is well established – transportation practices strongly influence physical activity and health outcomes for Americans of all ages.

An active living approach to physical activity incorporates walking and bicycling into everyday activities. Forty years ago, more than half of children walked and bicycled to school, contributing to exercise and good health. Today, less than 15 percent of children walk or bike school, with the rest ferried by school buses or car.  Children who have access to safe, convenient and ample walking and bicycling opportunities in their community develop active transportation habits that can last a lifetime.

Michelle Obama has been a positive role model for children and a leader in promoting healthy habits. Let’s make sure the influence of transportation and the built environment are a part of the Let’s Move effort. More walking and biking = healthier kids.

You can see Transportation for America’s comments on the First Lady’s task force here.

The briefing, titled “Get Moving! Mobilizing for a Healthier Transportation System” showcased four high level experts on health and transportation including a youth wellness advocate and Transportation for America Director James Corless.

“America’s transportation system affects our health in profound ways, and we have a unique opportunity to forge a new direction that makes us healthier and saves us money over the long term,” Corless said.

Joining Corless as panelists were Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association; Dr. Richard Jackson, Chair and Professor of Environmental Health and Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles; Dr. Joe Thompson, Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity; Shireen Malekafzali, Senior Associate at PolicyLink and editor of “The Transportation Prescription;” and 14-year-old Julia Lopez, a youth wellness advocate.

“We are fortunate to have these innovators and forward-thinkers with us as we push for transportation policies that fit the needs of 21st Century America,” Corless added.

Briefing topics included the relationship between vehicle-generated pollution and respiratory complications; access to health care services, groceries and other essential destinations; active living and obesity prevention; the safety implications of our transportation policies; the health effects of greenhouse gas emissions; and overarching equity concerns among low-income and minority populations.

“We really are at a transportation crossroads,” said Dr. Benjamin. “Without transformational change in our priorities, we will perpetuate a transportation status quo that puts our health at risk, exacerbates health inequities and clouds our future. I am excited to be a part of this discussion and look forward to our continued participation in Transportation for America’s diverse coalition.”

A few key facts about the relationship between transportation policy and health:

• In the United States traffic fatalities kill just over 40,000 per year, costing the nation $230.6 billion, or 2.3 percent of the gross domestic product, since 2000.
• People in more compact metropolitan areas suffer from significantly fewer chronic medical conditions than their counterparts in more sprawling regions.  For example people who live in neighborhoods with a mix of shops and businesses within easy walking distance have a 35 percent lower risk of obesity.
• Each year air pollution triggers over a million asthma attacks, more than 47,000 cases of chronic bronchitis in adults and 540,000 cases of acute bronchitis in children and kills 70,000 people.
• Vulnerable populations, such as seniors and minorities, who cannot or choose not to drive have a higher risk of being killed as a pedestrian. African-Americans make up approximately 12 percent of that population, but they account for 20 percent of pedestrian deaths. Native Americans are 1.5 times more likely to die from traffic crashes than anyone else.

“It is critical that our nation’s policies promote healthy living,” said 14-year-old youth wellness advocate, Julia Lopez. “Improving the access people have to goods and services will help many people maintain an active lifestyle and prevent obesity.”