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Tétreault LF, Eluru N, Hatzopoulou M, Morency P, Plante C, Morency C, Reynaud F, Shekarrizfard M, Shamsunnahar Y, Faghih Imani A, Drouin L, Pelletier A, Goudreau S, Tessier F, Gauvin L, Smargiassi A. Estimating the health benefits of planned public transit investments in Montreal. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 160:412-419. [PMID: 29073571 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Revised: 09/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since public transit infrastructure affects road traffic volumes and influences transportation mode choice, which in turn impacts health, it is important to estimate the alteration of the health burden linked with transit policies. OBJECTIVE We quantified the variation in health benefits and burden between a business as usual (BAU) and a public transit (PT) scenarios in 2031 (with 8 and 19 new subway and train stations) for the greater Montreal region. METHOD Using mode choice and traffic assignment models, we predicted the transportation mode choice and traffic assignment on the road network. Subsequently, we estimated the distance travelled in each municipality by mode, the minutes spent in active transportation, as well as traffic emissions. Thereafter we estimated the health burden attributed to air pollution and road traumas and the gains associated with active transportation for both the BAU and PT scenarios. RESULTS We predicted a slight decrease of overall trips and kilometers travelled by car as well as an increase of active transportation for the PT in 2031 vs the BAU. Our analysis shows that new infrastructure will reduce the overall burden of transportation by 2.5 DALYs per 100,000 persons. This decrease is caused by the reduction of road traumas occurring in the inner suburbs and central Montreal region as well as gains in active transportation in the inner suburbs. CONCLUSION Based on the results of our study, transportation planned public transit projects for Montreal are unlikely to reduce drastically the burden of disease attributable to road vehicles and infrastructures in the Montreal region. The impact of the planned transportation infrastructures seems to be very low and localized mainly in the areas where new public transit stations are planned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis-François Tétreault
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, school of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Montreal's Public Health Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Naveen Eluru
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering University of Central Florida, FL, USA
| | | | - Patrick Morency
- Montreal's Public Health Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of social and preventive medicine, school of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Celine Plante
- Montreal's Public Health Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Catherine Morency
- Département des génies civil, géologique et des mines, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Frederic Reynaud
- Department of Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Yasmin Shamsunnahar
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering University of Central Florida, FL, USA
| | - Ahmadreza Faghih Imani
- Department of Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Louis Drouin
- Montreal's Public Health Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of social and preventive medicine, school of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anne Pelletier
- Montreal's Public Health Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sophie Goudreau
- Montreal's Public Health Department, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Lise Gauvin
- Department of social and preventive medicine, school of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Audrey Smargiassi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, school of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Transportation Matters: A Health Impact Assessment in Rural New Mexico. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 14:ijerph14060629. [PMID: 28608826 PMCID: PMC5486315 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14060629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This Health Impact Assessment (HIA) informed the decision of expanding public transportation services to rural, low income communities of southern Doña Ana County, New Mexico on the U.S./Mexico border. The HIA focused on impacts of access to health care services, education, and economic development opportunities. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from surveys of community members, key informant interviews, a focus group with community health workers, and passenger surveys during an initial introduction of the transit system. Results from the survey showed that a high percentage of respondents would use the bus system to access the following: (1) 84% for health services; (2) 83% for formal and informal education opportunities; and (3) 81% for economic opportunities. Results from interviews and the focus group supported the benefits of access to services but many were concerned with the high costs of providing bus service in a rural area. We conclude that implementing the bus system would have major impacts on resident's health through improved access to: (1) health services, and fresh foods, especially for older adults; (2) education opportunities, such as community colleges, universities, and adult learning, especially for young adults; and (3) economic opportunities, especially jobs, job training, and consumer goods and services. We highlight the challenges associated with public transportation in rural areas where there are: (1) long distances to travel; (2) difficulties in scheduling to meet all needs; and (3) poor road and walking conditions for bus stops. The results are applicable to low income and fairly disconnected rural areas, where access to health, education, and economic opportunities are limited.
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Spickett J, Katscherian D, Brown H, Rumchev K. Health impact assessment: improving its effectiveness in the enhancement of health and well-being. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2015; 12:3847-52. [PMID: 25854299 PMCID: PMC4410219 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph120403847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery Spickett
- School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth Western Australia 6102, Australia.
| | - Dianne Katscherian
- School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth Western Australia 6102, Australia.
| | - Helen Brown
- School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth Western Australia 6102, Australia.
| | - Krassi Rumchev
- School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth Western Australia 6102, Australia.
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