Transportation systems impact health outcomes in several ways: 1. Vehicle emissions and traffic congestion negatively impact air quality, which can lead to increased health risks like cancer, heart disease, and susceptibility to disease. 2. Lack of access to affordable and reliable public transportation makes it difficult for people to access healthcare. 3. Communities can improve health by developing equitable transportation networks that provide safe walking, biking, and public transit options for all residents to access services and enable healthy lifestyles.

1. QUESTION ANSWER
The connection between transportation and health
HOW DOES
TRANSPORTATION
“Transportation systems, particularly in concentrated urban areas, directly
influence air quality. Poor air quality has a negative impact on health
and susceptibility to disease at all stages of life, from the prenatal
IMPACT HEALTH experience during which expectant mothers breathe in excess pollution, to
increased risks for cancer and heart problems in adults who live with high
OUTCOMES? concentrations of air pollutants. Transportation systems, traffic congestion
and vehicle emissions are powerful determinants of health and health
equity. As such, they must be addressed through public health interventions and policy and
regulatory changes.
Lack of affordable and accessible health care is also a strong determinant of poor health
outcomes. Both affordability and accessibility hinge on transportation. If you can’t get to
a doctor because you don’t have a car or taxi fare, then it hardly matters if the doctor is in.
Communities can do two things to improve public transportation options and, in
turn, improve health outcomes for all. From the top down, communities can develop
transportation networks that really do work for everyone, including the most vulnerable
families and children. From the ground up, people themselves can advocate for walking
paths, bike lanes, accessible bus routes and safe streets.”
– Dr. Gail C. Christopher
Vice President — Program Strategy, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
LEARN MORE ON NEXT SLIDES
1. Transportation networks as a public health necessity
2. Communities take action to improve transportation for all

2. QUESTION
HOW DOES Transportation networks as a
TRANSPORTATION public health necessity
IMPACT HEALTH A report on healthy transportation from the
OUTCOMES? American Public Health Association (APHA),
explores the complex connections between
transportation and health. The report calls for
public health professionals to become actively
“A healthy community is one that engaged in transportation issues as advocates
promotes healthy people by ensuring for policies that take into account public health
access to safe and nutritious foods; and safety.
safe places to walk, run or bike; clean
air and water; adequate and accessible
health care systems; and other healthy
enablers. One of these healthy enablers
is our transportation system.”
– GEORGES C. BENJAMIN,
executive director American
Public Health Association

3. QUESTION
HOW DOES Communities take action to improve
TRANSPORTATION transportation for all
IMPACT HEALTH Through Food & Fitness collaboratives across the
OUTCOMES? country, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation works alongside
communities to address their most pressing food and
physical activity challenges with homegrown solutions.
The Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative has held
a community competition to design bike racks, which
were built by the local high school, and has ensured
that crosswalks were built near schools with federal
Safe Routes to School funding.
The Detroit Food & Fitness Collaborative is working
toward a complete streets ordinance for the city, which
would ensure that all streets in the city are designed
and constructed with all users – pedestrians, cyclists,
transit users and drivers – in mind.