Health advocates blanket Congress with health & transportation message
October 19, 2009By Sean Barry
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| 139 Originally uploaded by Transportation for America |
| Dr. Richard Jackson speaks at the podium, flanked by Dr. Georges Benjamin, left, Shireen Malekafzali, Dr. Joe Thompson, James Corless, and Julia Lopez. More info about the speakers can be found in our press release. |
Our transportation investments and the built environment — what we build and where — have an enormous impact on our health and the cost of our health care.
With the debate over health care reform dominating the news daily, Transportation for America and coalition members from across the country took that powerful — yet often ignored or neglected — message to Capitol Hill leaders.
T4 America’s “health fly-in” last Friday connected health professionals and advocates from across the country with their Congressional representatives to highlight the impact that transportation has on our health and wellness.
T4 America kicked off the day with a briefing from campaign director James Corless and four other nationally recognized experts on health and transportation. Then, participants from across the country, from the Pacific Northwest to New England, split up and took the message to their representatives, visiting a total of 37 Congressional offices.
Among the 25 participants in the fly-in, six hailed from national groups and 19 from state and local organizations. Several, including fourteen-year-old childhood wellness advocate Julia Lopez and UCLA professor Dr. Richard Jackson, traveled all the way from California. (Look for a full list of organizations at the bottom of the post)
During the meetings, advocates discussed how the built environment — where we live, work and play — has a profound impact on obesity rates, diabetes, asthma and other quality of life measures. And they discussed policy prescriptions that can increase walkability, grow transit ridership and make physical activity a normal part of our daily routine.
“As a pediatrician and child advocate, my job is to do what I can to make sure as many kids as possible live healthy lives, and the biggest threats to them at this time are injuries — both violent and unintentional — and obesity,” said Dr. Katherine Kaufer Christoffel, a medical and research director at Northwestern University.
“This active transportation stuff really gets at all of those things.”
Dr. Joe Thompson, Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity, participated as a briefing panelist but did not attend Congressional meetings. Thompson serves as the Surgeon General of the State of Arkansas, where an alarming 22 percent of children are obese and 40 percent are overweight. Thompson said the built environment is a critical component of America’s livelihood.
“If we don’t solve the upstream causes of health problems, we won’t be able to hold health care reform together,” he said.
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| 207 Originally uploaded by Transportation for America |
| 14 year-old health advocate Julia Lopez chats with attendees of the health fly-in after making a few remarks. |
Noelle Dobson, Director of the Healthy Eating Active Living initiative at Portland’s Community Health Partnership, has been stressing the link between health and transportation through her work preparing health impact assessments for new development projects.
“This is all public health has ever been about for me,” she said.
T4 America and participating advocates were promoting three important pieces of legislation that address the health and transportation connection.
One is CLEAN-TEA, a Senate bill that would allocate ten percent of revenue from climate legislation toward clean transportation, walking and biking, and other modes that can help reduce emissions. The second is the National Transportation Objectives Act, which would create explicit, specific targets and benchmarks for the transportation bill, including goals like reducing CO2 from transportation by 40%, eliminating at-risk exposure to pollution, and tripling the amount of walking and biking we do. Lastly is Complete Streets legislation to make our streets safe and accommodating for all users and people — bus riders, bicyclists and pedestrians.
Most fly-in participants met with their representatives’ transportation staffers, but a few were able to meet face-to-face with the representatives themselves. Heidi Klein, a board member for the Vermont Public Health Association, got a few words in with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and two fly-in participants from Montana had the chance to meet their junior Senator, Democrat Jon Tester.
Other office visits included Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Sen. Max Baucus of Montana.
Our thanks to the many advocates and supporters who worked very hard to take this crucial message to Capitol Hill.
Participating organizations:
- National Recreation and Park Association
- National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity
- Campaign to End Obesity
- American Public Health Association
- American Lung Association
- PolicyLink
- National Complete Streets Coalition
- Trust for America’s Health
- America Bikes
- Safe Routes to School
- State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association (STIPDA)
Americans Agree: Smart Growth Approach to Transportation Helps Build Communities
February 26, 2009By Transportation for America
| Download this release (.PDF) (.DOC) Download the full poll results (.PDF) (.DOC) |
WASHINGTON (February 26, 2009) — An overwhelming majority of Americans believe restoring existing roads and bridges and expanding transportation options should take precedence over building new roads, according to a survey sponsored by the National Association of Realtors® and Transportation for America.
The 2009 Growth and Transportation Survey describes what Americans think about how their communities are handling development and how the transportation needs of communities can best be met.
“Realtors® build communities and know how important an organized transportation structure is in supporting neighborhood growth,” said NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. “A well planned investment in transportation will help create more livable and vibrant communities.”
To accommodate future U.S. population growth, which is expected to increase by 100 million by 2050, Americans favor improving intercity rail and transit, walking and biking over building new highways. When asked what the federal government’s top priority should be for 2009 transportation funding, half of all respondents recommended maintaining and repairing roads and bridges, while nearly one third said “expanding and improving bus, rail, and other public transportation.” Only 16 percent said “expanding and improving roads, highways, freeways and bridges.”
When asked about approaches to addressing traffic, 47 percent preferred improving public transportation, 25 percent chose building communities that encourage people not to drive, and 20 percent preferred building new roads. fifty-six percent of those surveyed believe the federal government is not devoting enough attention to trains and light rail systems, and three out of four favor improving intercity rail and transit.
The 2009 Growth and Transportation Survey was conducted by Hart Research Associates, January 5-7. Hart Research Associates telephoned 1,005 adults living in the U.S. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
Be sure to download the poll results linked above if you want to read the questions and results.
Group’s Promotion Of Responsible Development Gains Political Momentum
October 14, 2008By Andrew Bielak
1000 Friends of Connecticut, a non-profit organization advocating for smart growth and livable communities, has been making waves in the state with a series of forums on development and growth issues. (Hartford Courant — Regine Labossiere)
Schwarzenegger signs greenhouse gas bill
October 2, 2008By Andrew Bielak
With a new bill signed on Tuesday by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, California’s planning agencies gain new ammo in the fight against sprawl, carbon emissions, and climate change. (Associated Press — Steve Lawrence)
The case against sprawl
October 1, 2008By Andrew Bielak
The Baltimore Sun presses Maryland’s state government to use more carrots and sticks to encourage smart growth and help protect the Chesapeake Bay.
Portland, Ore., tops sustainable cities list
September 23, 2008By Andrew Bielak
A commitment to clean transportation and smart growth puts Portland at the top of SustainLane’s sustainability rankings for the biggest 50 U.S cities. (Christian Science Monitor – Eoin O’Carroll)
Transportation future discussed in Missoula
September 22, 2008By Andrew Bielak
Transportation for America staff members talk to officials in Missoula, Montana, about building a program that empowers local communities and gives people cleaner and cheaper transportation options. (KPAX-TV)
Cities rethink wisdom of 50s-era parking standards
September 22, 2008By Andrew Bielak
Some big cities are finding out that requiring home and business owners to have parking available — and helping to create loads of artificially cheap spaces – may not be the smartest policy. (Associated Press – Sarah Karush)
2020 Global Sustainability Centers
September 15, 2008By Andrew Bielak
Looking at factors that range from transportation and housing to innovation and investment, Ethisphere Magazine lists 10 large cities and 10 mid-size cities that are working to become “global sustainability centers” by 2020.
Ohio must rethink growth, study says
September 11, 2008By Andrew Bielak
A new study from the Brookings Institution says that Ohio needs to strengthen its cities while pulling back from the sprawling development patterns that have characterized much of its recent growth. (Columbus Dispatch — Joe Hallett)
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Driving is down and transit ridership is at record highs. Yet transit agencies across the country are considering layoffs, service cuts and fare hikes. Find out more and learn what you can do to help at t4america.org/transitcuts
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