Transportation Advocates Drive Home the Message: Federal Support Needed for Health-Oriented Transportation Policies

Integrating public health into federal transportation policy

During 2002 and 2003, staff at the Surface Transportation Policy Project worked to educate opinion leaders, policy-makers and the public about the impact of transportation policies on the public's health.

Key Results
During the grant, the Policy Project:

  • Produced two reports for public release:
    • Mean Streets 2002, available online, highlights the connection between pedestrian fatalities and spending on pedestrian infrastructure.
    • Americans' Attitudes Toward Walking and Creating Better Walking Communities, available online, presents findings of a poll on the demand for a nonmotorized infrastructure.
  • Conducted a workshop, "Connecting Transportation Policy with Physical Activity," January 11, 2003, in Washington, attended by 35 participants from the transportation and public health fields.
  • Made 22 visits to members of Congress to inform them about the links between health and transportation, and developed two policy briefs for use in advocacy efforts.
    • "Policy Recommendations for Transportation and Health," describes how transportation policy affects people's health and lists 10 policy recommendations.
    • "Driving Factors: How Transportation Policy Affects Health," details how federal transportation policy can be used to enhance the nation's health.

Funding
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) supported the project from May 2002 to February 2003 with a grant of $234,141.

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