Federal Surface Transportation Bill: An opportunity to support physical activity and healthy communities

Transportation is not just about mobility, it is about building healthy, equitable and economically viable communities. While many health professionals are tasked with achieving individual and population health, the vast majority are not actively involved in the very policies that drive these outcomes, such as those that give rise to transportation patterns. With the upcoming authorization of a new multi-year, billion dollar federal transportation bill comes the opportunity to turn the tide on this trend. This session will introduce a set of papers commissioned by the national Convergence Partnership, a collaborative of funders seeking to achieve the goal of healthy people in healthy places by improving food and activity environments. These papers, compiled in the book, Healthy, Equitable Transportation Policy, explore the breadth of research on health and equity impacts from transportation policies and practices, and highlight community based strategies that support health and equity by improving safety for all travelers, increasing options for walking and bicycling, and creating opportunity through access to key community resources. Research and strategies that will be presented will focus on ways to support regular physical activity in people's daily lives but will also be presented as elements of a larger agenda for health and equity in transportation policy, which will be outlined. The session will highlight opportunities to advance these strategies through the authorization of a new federal transportation bill, and identify levers for public health engagement. This session will also explore strategic partners that health professionals can engage to advance these strategies.