Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Public Health

Car-Dependent States Hit Hardest by Obesity Epidemic

By Noah Kazis | Jul 8, 2010 | 8 Comments

States where more people drive to work face an even worse obesity crisis. Graphic: Noah Kazis and Carly Clark Transportation is a public health issue. As profiled in the recently released report from the Trust for America’s Health, "F as in Fat," obesity rates continue to rise across the nation, increasing the risk of serious […]

APHA Tallies ‘Hidden Health Costs’ of Transportation Status Quo

By Elana Schor | May 20, 2010 | 3 Comments

The nation’s transportation planning process fails to account for more than $200 billion per year in "hidden health costs" imposed by traffic and air pollution, according to a new report from the American Public Health Association (APHA) that maps the nexus between infrastructure and health care. Traffic brings with it billions of dollars in "hidden […]

First Lady’s Childhood Obesity Task Force Calls For Transportation Reform

By Elana Schor | May 11, 2010 | 4 Comments

(Chart: LetsMove.gov) The White House’s inter-agency task force on childhood obesity, developed under the stewardship of First Lady Michelle Obama, today released a 124-page report recommending dozens of policy shifts in health care, community development, and transportation that it estimates can bring down obesity rates among kids by 5 percent over the next 20 years. […]

Centers for Disease Control: Transportation Reform is Health Reform

By Elana Schor | May 6, 2010 | 5 Comments

The connection between transportation and public health has slowly edged into the mainstream since Streetsblog Capitol Hill began covering it last year, first through a billion-dollar grant program added to Congress’ sprawling health care bill and now in a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) brief that connects existing U.S. infrastructure with chronic disease, obesity, and […]

EPA Adopting ‘Fix-it-First’ Infrastructure Policy — For Water

By Elana Schor | May 5, 2010 | 2 Comments

Environmental groups have long called for a national "fix-it-first" standard to apply to new transportation projects, requiring states to focus on repair of existing infrastructure before constructing new lane miles. The approach has caught on in several state capitals, but not in Washington — except when it comes to water infrastructure. A sign advertising "spring […]

Detroit Residents Press EPA for Stronger Air Pollution Monitoring

By Elana Schor | Apr 19, 2010 | No Comments

In Washington, "grassroots lobbying" is more often associated with industry-funded issue campaigns than ground-up local advocacy. But residents of Detroit’s industrial southwest neighborhoods took the term back to its roots on Friday, getting a personal visit from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials after a groundswell of complaints about decaying air quality. Cyclists in southwest Detroit. […]

Show More Stories