Unfortunately, congestion and road pricing have economically regressive effects on low income people.
Marc Brenman
Social Justice Consultancy
mbrenman001@comcast.net
240-676-2436


From: "Megan Wier" <Megan.Wier@sfdph.org>
To: h+t--friends@chrispy.net
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 10:18:27 AM
Subject: [H+T--Friends] Health Impact Assessment of Road Pricing


Hi everyone -

   I wanted to share the following report summarizing the findings of a
   health impact assessment (HIA) of a potential road pricing program in
   San Francisco conducted by the San Francisco Department of Public
   Health's Program on Health, Equity and Sustainability as I thought it
   may be of interest to the list.  The HIA was completed this Fall with
   funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living Research
   Program.  A summary and detailed technical report of the findings are
   available at:  http://www.sfphes.org/HIA_Road_Pricing.htm.

   For the HIA analysis, SFDPH used a variety of methods to assess
   potential transportation-related health effects - including air
   quality-related premature mortality, traffic noise-related annoyance and
   heart attacks, injury to pedestrians and cyclists, and health benefits
   from active transportation – and evaluated health-related equity effects
   and associated economic value.  The HIA found that transportation system
   operation in San Francisco has substantial health burdens and benefits
   today.  Health burdens are expected to increase in the future owing to
   increasing motor vehicles on local roadways and increasing population
   densities in already congested areas.  However, there are also estimated
   increases in active transportation (walking and biking) that bring some
   health benefits and save lives.  Road pricing, if implemented, could
   moderate but not entirely eliminate the changes associated with a future
   under “business as usual” that includes increasing populations and
   traffic and no new policies or funding to manage the transportation
   system. Road pricing could also generate significant economic value by
   reducing transportation-related adverse effects and increasing walking
   and biking.  HIA recommendations include increasing congestion pricing
   fees where they can reduce health risks (e.g., on spare the air days)
   and investing in targeted infrastructure to reduce pedestrian and
   cyclist injury and increase active transportation.

   Thank you, and happy holidays!
   -------------------------------------------------------------
   Megan L. Wier, MPH, Epidemiologist
   Program on Health, Equity and Sustainability
   San Francisco Department of Public Health
   phone: 415-252-3972, fax: 415-252-3964
   Megan.Wier@sfdph.org
   www.sfphes.org

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