South Bay and Peninsula: a meeting to discuss transportation and public health.

Rollcoll reports on a meeting between the Partnership for Active Transportation with with House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Chairman Tom Petri (R-Wis) today.

This Partnership was formed in 2012 to link the efforts of transportation organizations such as Rails-To-Trail with physician-backed groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Public Health Association.

Public health officials have long understood the impact that our transportation system has on health. Communities near highways have higher rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses. More motor vehicle traffic leads to more injuries and more death.

More recently, there’s more awareness that the built environment can impact our transportation choices which, in turn, impacts community health. Efforts such as the Partnership for Active Transportation increase this awareness among public health officials, leading to a new avenue for activism.

TransForm, Santa Clara County Public Health , and San Mateo County Public Health are hosting a Transportation Choices and Health Community Summit a week from Saturday on February 22, 2014 from 9 AM to 5:30 PM.

The Summit aims to foster deep community engagement and meaningful participation in transportation and land use planning processes. We’ll provide trainings on what’s at stake and how to effectively get involved with plans, projects, and policies, as well as accessible and interactive workshops on best practices. The conference also provides a space to connect with public officials, organizations, and community leaders from across the region and learn how to join the movement for better transportation choices and access for all.

To attend you must purchase a ticket from TransForm.