Affirmative Evidence Packet
The Leadership Conference Education Fund, 2011, Transportation Policy and Access to Health Care, p.2
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- Hidden costs include minimal access to health care
- Transportation health problems disproportionately impact the poor
- Pollution Impacts
- Pollution from transportation disproportionately impacts the poor
The Leadership Conference Education Fund, 2011, Transportation Policy and Access to Health Care, p.2.Without affordable and accessible transportation, many Americans are physically isolated from health providers. As poverty in suburban areas grows, increasing numbers of people are unable to reach providers and services that are spread out among non-walkable areas with limited public transportation. People of color, households in rural areas, and people with disabilities face significant hurdles because many cannot drive and public transportation is often unavailable, inaccessible, or unreliable. Studies show that lack of access to transportation reduces health care utilization among children, seniors, low-income people, and people with disabilities.2 One survey found that 4 percent of U.S. children (3.2 million in total) either missed a scheduled health care visit or did not schedule a visit during the preceding year because of transportation restrictions.3
Stanley et al, 2008, “Social exclusion: What can public transport offer?” Janet Stanley a, *, Karen Lucas b a Brotherhood of St Laurence and Monash University, Victoria, Australia b University of Westminster, London, UK Research in Transportation Economics 22 (2008) 36–40 The argument for social policy integration with the more traditional transport planning approach was outlined by Lucas, Tyler, and Christodoulou (2007). They pointed out that the ‘true’ or complete benefits of a public transport system have traditionally either been overlooked or measured in a very narrow sense. Benefits have also been dominated by assumptions that time savings is the sole value. She notes that this flawed perspective sometimes fails to take account of issues such as suppressed demand, the value of extended service levels or the value of keeping transport fares at low levels. Benefits gained from improved bus transport in four areas in the United Kingdom are presently being examined. The failure of evaluation was also raised by Battellino (2007) who referred to the narrow view of transport benefits which overlook issues such as cost savings as a result of the ability to access health services, high quality food services and in terms of reduced loneliness and depression generated from isolation. She reports a study from the United States which found that 3.6 million Americans miss out on health care because they do not have transport and that the cost of providing this transport is below the cost of a lack of medical care (TRCP, 2006). Unequal Transportation Leads to Unequal Health Care
American Public Health Association, 2009 AT THE INTERSECTION OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND TRANSPORTATION: Promoting Healthy Transportation Policy, p5 Nearly one third of the US population is transportation disadvantaged.33 Many of these individuals and families are vulnerable. They cannot easily access basic needs such as healthy food choices, medical care, gainful employment, and educational opportunities. Many low-income families have been forced to live outside city centers where housing is more affordable and access to public transportation is limited. These families often spend more on driving than health care, education, or food. The poorest fifth of US families, earning less than $13,060 per year, pay 42% of their income to own and drive a vehicle.34 Those families earning $20,000 to $50,000 spend as much as 30% of their budget on transportation.35 In addition, lower-income neighborhoods often lack safe places to walk, bike, or play and access to healthy and affordable foods.7 Transportation and housing are the 2 biggest household costs for most families.33 Often, affordable housing and employment are not accessible to lower income families who want to use public transportation.34 Some family members may take multiple bus or other public transit routes to obtain employment. These families may be forced to purchase a car, which if affordable, still constitutes a huge financial drain. Pollution Impacts
American Public Health Association, 2009 AT THE INTERSECTION OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND TRANSPORTATION: Promoting Healthy Transportation Policy, p4 Air pollution is associated with several health issues, including asthma and respiratory illness, heart disease, and cancer. Like obesity, asthma is a major public health problem in the United States.21 More than 32 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with asthma at some time. Of the 22 million people who currently have asthma, 12 million have had an asthma episode or attack in the past year.22 Four thousand people die each year from asthma-related causes, and asthma is a contributing factor for another 7,000 deaths every year.22 Asthma prevalence among children increased an average 4.3% per year from 1980–1996.21 Each year, asthma accounts for 14 million days of missed school days by children.23 Asthma is seen more often among children, women and girls, African Americans, Puerto Ricans, people in the Northeast, and those living below the federal poverty level, and those with particular work-related exposures. 23 The US cost of health issues associated with poor air quality from transportation is between $40 billion and $64 billion per year.24 Living, working, going to school, or playing near major roadways in- creases the risk of asthma as well as other health conditions, such as cancer, respiratory illness, and heart disease.25–27 Communities lo- cated near heavily traveled highways have a disproportionately higher rate of lung cancer.27 Air pollutants, in- cluding carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter (which is found primarily in diesel exhaust), are found along high traffic roads.27 According to the US Census Bureau, 36 million people live within 300 feet of a 4-lane highway, railroad, or airport.28
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