CDC's recommendations for improving public health through transportation policy

Each year in the U.S. approximately 35,000 deaths are caused by motor vehicle crashes. Automobile-generated air pollution contributes to adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health effects. More time spent in cars and less time in active transportation has been shown to contribute to overweight which may be a precursor to other chronic health conditions. Finally, a lack of efficient alternatives to car- travel disproportionately affects vulnerable populations by limiting access to jobs, health care, social interaction, and healthy foods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorses the concept that transportation policies have profound public health implications. CDC supports strategies that address the connection between transportation and public health and that emphasize public health and safety in the U.S. transportation system. In 2010, CDC will release the document “Recommendations for Improving Public Health through Transportation Policy”. In the document, CDC recommends that transportation policy provide a balanced portfolio of transportation choices that supports health and reduces health care costs. Transportation policy should also: reduce injuries associated with transportation; encourage healthy community design; promote opportunities for physical activity; reduce exposure to air pollution and mitigate climate change; and ensure that all people have access to safe, healthy, convenient, and affordable transportation. This session will orient state and local public health practitioners and administrators to the CDC recommendations, and suggest access points through which such audiences may seek to improve public health through interactions with transportation and planning officials, and by working to see that health concerns are included in transportation policy.