Hi Matt,
I am mostly retired from the transportation world, but I will share what are solely my own opinions. While there is lots of data about the health benefits of walking and biking as exercise; and, in contrast, the terrible health effects of a sedentary life that involves just sitting in a car, there is insufficient transportation-focused public health research and especially outreach about how the ordinary, daily practices of how we transport ourselves from place to place have major health ramifications.
If we think about the major gains in health due to banning cigarette and alcohol ads on TV and other media, as well as complementary public health ads, we would do well to take a similar approach around transportation. Banning car and truck ads, which only show people traveling in unrealistic settings (such as empty city streets or in pristine mountain settings) could help steer us away from poor health and 30-to-40,000 road deaths per year in the US alone.
Well that is my rant. I wish you the best of luck in your studies. This is important work that you are doing.
Enjoy a lovely afternoon,
Sheryl