Posted by Catherine Cagle, MassDOT Sustainable Transportation Manager
The Healthy Transportation Compact met on Thursday, July 28th that appropriately coincided with the launch of Hubway bike share that expands healthy transportation travel choices in Boston. The Compact serves as a guide to livability in the MassDOT Sustainability and Livability policy framework.
Key Healthy Transportation Compact actions included advancing the interagency pilot Health Impact Assessment on the ‘Grounding McGrath’ transportation study and building on the momentum of the Compact’s first year of outcomes that are dramatically advancing and innovating healthy transportation in the Commonwealth.
Dr. Aaron Wernham, from the Health Impact Project provided an introduction to health impact assessments (HIA) which lead into the ‘Grounding McGrath’ transportation study. That study will include an HIA funded with a grant from the Pew Health Group.
A few of the short term wins to highlight: innovated the first statewide bike week in the nation lead by MassDOT in partnership with MassBike; advanced Massachusetts into the Top Ten Bicycle Friendly States (from 19th in 2009 to 9th in 2011); launched ‘Complete Streets’ training late 2011; expanded Safe Routes to School outreach and infrastructure delivery; awarded National Exemplary Human Environment Initiative Award from FHWA; and received grant funding to initiate a pilot HIA on a transportation study.
For more information please check out our Healthy Transportation Compact website that includes all the materials from this meeting and the list of short term wins.
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