Transportation and Public Health
A focus on community well-being through improved mobility
As defined by the American Public Health Association, “Public health promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work, and play.” Public health can be understood as focusing on the promoting the health of a community or of the general population, not just those who are currently dealing with an illness or disease. In this definition, it is clear that the realm of public health reaches far broader than just health care services.
How is public health managed?
The network of organizations that make up the public health system is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as “all public, private, and voluntary entities that contribute to the delivery of essential public health services.” The CDC identified 10 essential public health services that are used as frameworks for public health priorities, initiatives, and programs:
- Monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems
- Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community
- Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues
- Mobilize community partnerships and action to identify and solve health problems
- Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts
- Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety
- Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable
- Assure competent public and personal health care workforce
- Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services
- Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems
How does transportation intersect with public health?
Transportation and public health intersect on the community level in many activities. These activities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Transporting people in the most energy-efficient way to reduce vehicle-based harmful emissions
- Ensure individuals who do not drive can remain active in their communities
- Supporting active transportation, including safe walking/biking routes to schools
- Ensuring people have access to health-promoting recreation opportunities
- Ensuring people can choose safe neighborhoods to live in and still have access to essential destinations
Partnerships between transportation and public health
Potential partners in the public health space can include state and local public health departments, local, state, and national non-profits focused on public health, urban and community planners, and others interested in community health, well-being, and safety. In addition, it is important to note that public health often coordinates with health care entities to support and expand their work; therefore, NCMM encourages coordination between the two sub-sectors of health.
For further investigation . . .
Healthy Built Environment Linkages Toolkit
This Toolkit is intended to support the inclusion of health considerations within community planning and design. It is designed as a quick reference to the body of research evidence which describes how our built environment can influence population health.
Scoping Assessment of Transport Design Targets to Improve Public Mental Health
This assessment aims to identify potential research and innovation targets to better leverage transportation design for mental health promotion.
Additional resources
Using Disability Waivers to pay for Ridehailing Trips
Dakota County, Minnesota
Dakota County residents with disabilities and older adults have long experienced a mismatch between their transportation needs and what’s been available to fill those needs. That mismatch has been characterized by limited days, hours, and areas of service, various eligibility requirements, and the necessity for significant pre-planning of trips.
In March 2019, the County began offering Lyft as an option for individuals getting to and from employment, and later that year, to other destinations.
Under Medicaid’s Home and Community Based Service Waivers (HCBS), transportation is provided as a billable service under specific waivers, such as for those with brain injury developmental disabilities, Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) waivers, and Alternative Care/Elderly waivers. Under the Lyft program, the County bills the person’s Medicaid Waiver directly for the total monthly amount the individual used Lyft under HCPC T2003 UC.
The Sydney (AUS) MaaS Trial
Australia’s first Mobility as a Service (MaaS) trial commenced in April 2019 in Sydney, running for two years. This report
Open-Source Software and Open Data: Key Concepts, Examples, and Opportunities for Mobility Managers
This report compiles blog posts published on the National Center for Mobility Management website. The posts cover closely related topics:
Do Health Impact Assessments Help Promote Equity Over the Long Term?
The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of social movements to advance racial justice have highlighted the wide disparities in