Hi everyone, I am writing to follow up for those who were interested in responses to my post re: VMT/Traffic Density Analysis as a proxy for health impacts of transportation (e.g., near-source air pollution, noise, active transport hazards, and livability generally) - see below. They are summarized as follows. Please feel free to contact me off-list if you are interested in PDFs of the referenced articles (the first one is downloadable free online at the link included below the citation). Best, Megan Summary: - MPOs running a travel forecasting model would have the capacity to do this type of analysis - Caveats of mapping modeled VMT using an MPO’s regional model for a small/sub-city level scale (e.g., TAZ, census block/tract, 1/2 mile grids) shared by one MPO include: 1.       The regional model doesn’t include most of the local roads 2.       The regional model would need future recalibration to show more accurate result for the sub-areas. - The Boston Region MPO has started aggregating VMT from their travel demand model by transportation analysis zone (TAZ) and turning it into a contour surface for transportation health impact analyses. This approach is described in the article I had shared in my initial email - available online at the link below. Characterizing urban traffic exposures using transportation planning tools: an illustrated methodology for health researchers. Rioux CL, Gute DM, Brugge D, Peterson S, Parmenter B. J Urban Health. 2010 Mar;87(2):167-88. doi: 10.1007/s11524-009-9419-7. Epub 2010 Jan 22. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20094920 An additional article related to this work shared by the MPO is: Modeling and validation of on-road CO2 emissions inventories at the urban regional scale. Brondfield MN, Hutyra LR, Gately CK, Raciti SM, Peterson SA. Environ Pollut. 2012 Nov;170:113-23. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2012.06.003. Epub 2012 Jul 7. - The San Francisco Bay Area's MTC is using modeled VMT density as an equity performance measure using VMT from the MTC's travel model: http://www.onebayarea.org/pdf/Appendices_5-4-12/Appendix_F_Equity_Analysis_… *** Please note that I am in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Thank you! *** ------------------------------------------------------------- Megan L. Wier, MPH, Epidemiologist Lead - Health, Transportation and Equity Environmental Health Section San Francisco Department of Public Health phone: 415-252-3972, fax: 415-252-3964 Megan.Wier(a)sfdph.org www.sfphes.org ----- Forwarded by Megan Wier/DPH/SFGOV on 03/14/2013 08:55 AM ----- From: Megan Wier <Megan.Wier(a)sfdph.org> To: "'TRB Health and Transportation'" <h+t--friends(a)chrispy.net> Date: 02/28/2013 05:41 PM Subject: [H+T--Friends] VMT/Traffic Density Analysis Inquiry Sent by: h+t--friends-bounces(a)chrispy.net Hi everyone, I am writing on behalf of Rajiv Bhatia with an inquiry re: whether people working at MPOs have quantified, modeled or mapped VMT or traffic density at a smaller area/sub-city level. If you have, could you please email me directly (megan.wier(a)sfdph.org) with some details regarding this work and your data source(s)? If you have not but have plans to do so and/or the data available to do so, I would be most interested in hearing about it as well. For some background regarding this approach and implications for health, please see the attached article. Thanks so much in advance - Best, Megan (See attached file: Rioux_UrbanTrafficExposures_JUrbanHealth_2010].pdf) *** Please note that I am in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Thank you! *** ------------------------------------------------------------- Megan L. Wier, MPH, Epidemiologist Lead - Health, Transportation and Equity Environmental Health Section San Francisco Department of Public Health phone: 415-252-3972, fax: 415-252-3964 Megan.Wier(a)sfdph.org www.sfphes.org[attachment "Rioux_UrbanTrafficExposures_JUrbanHealth_2010].pdf" deleted by Megan Wier/DPH/SFGOV] _______________________________________________ H+T--Friends mailing list H+T--Friends(a)ryoko.chrispy.net http://ryoko.chrispy.net/mailman/listinfo/h+t--friends