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Action Steps

Health

Contribute to public health by providing active living environments with safe, connected, accessible facilities along with programs that encourage walking and bicycling.

ID Recommended Action Step Idea Lead Agency Agency Partner(s) Chapter Ref.
Health: Engagement/encouragement of non-traditional groups
H1 Update NCDOT planning guides and/or checklists during planning processes (e.g. CTPs) to prioritize inclusion of low-income, people of color, older adults, youth, people with disabilities. Seek transportation equity for lower-income communities. Update NCDOT planning guides and/or checklists during planning 9.4
H2 Reach out to other organizations, including non-profits, to identify appropriate ways to boost resident engagement in transportation planning. NCDOT NC Center for Non-Profits 9.4
H3 Convene annual pedestrian summit with broad engagement of non-traditional groups/organizations. BikeWalkNC Volunteers (municipal planners) 9.4
H4 Continue annual bicycle summit and expand broad engagement of non-traditional groups/organizations. BikeWalkNC Volunteers (municipal planners) 9.4
H5 Establish user on-line system and other networks to educate non-traditional groups about transportation issues. NCDOT, DHHS BikeWalkNC 9.4
H6 Conduct targeted social media, advertisements, marketing campaigns and/or other promotional efforts to increase active transportation. NCDOT, DHHS BikeWalkNC 9.4
H7 Work with non-traditional organizations, e.g. El Pueblo, NAACP, NC Alliance of Disability Advocates, to identify the most effective and appropriate messages to encourage increased active transportation among low-income, people of color, youth, older adults, people with disabilities. NCDOT, DHHS BikeWalkNC 9.4
H8 Develop a focused outreach approach to increase bicycling among women and girls. NCDOT, DHHS BikeWalkNC 9.4
Health: Institutionalization of health professionals/advocates into transportation planning processes
H9 Encourage health professionals to participate in the transportation planning and project scoping projects. NCDOT 9.4
H10 Provide training and materials to local health directors and boards of health regarding transportation planning. DHHS 9.4
Health: Community Leader outreach
H11 Develop educational materials for local leaders, elected officials and boards/commissions regarding the benefits of active transportation and informational materials on transportation planning and implementation. NCDOT, DHHS 9.4
H12 Work through state councils and organizations to reinforce (to local leaders and officials) the importance of health considerations in local planning, e.g. NC League of Municipalities, NC Association of County Commissioners. NCDOT 9.4
Health: Data
H13 Prepare health data sets and reports that can be used in transportation planning, implementation and performance evaluation. DHHS, NC State Center for Health Statistics 9.4
H14 Develop prioritiztion criteria that can be easily and objectively rated to indicate transportation projects that are likely to serve low-income, people of color, youth, older adults, and people with disabilities. NCDOT, DHHS 5, 9.4
H15 Include health/equity criteria in project prioritization. NCDOT, DHHS 5, 9.4
H16 Adopt high-priority performance measures described in Chapter 8. NCDOT, DHHS 8
H17 Identify and implement the collection of new indicators for ongoing surveillance, such as children walking to school, active commuters, etc. for measuring performance. NCDOT, DHHS 9.4
H18 Provide funding, resources and tools for local communities to collect longitudinal data (i.e. measuring the economic and health impacts) before and after pedestrian and bicycling projects are implemented. NCDOT, DHHS 9.4
Health: Planning and Programs
H19 Follow new NCDOT Public Health Policy adopted October 4, 2012. NCDOT 9.4
H20 Create health factor requirements that are appropriately scaled to project or plan size. NCDOT ITRE; DHHS; Active Living by Design 5
H21 Create an incentives structure for comprehensive planning that includes health component and improves land use to reduce distances between important destinations. NCDOT Local governments, MPOs/RPOs 5, 9.4
H22 Collaborate to incorporate more local school officials into transportation planning efforts. NCDOT, DPI 9.4
H23 Engage vast network of possible non-profit partners in North Carolina, many of which support healthy living. NC Center for Non-Profits NCDOT-DBPT, Healthy Environments Collaborative
H24 Maintain and establish new education, encouragement, and enforcement programs recommended in Chapter 7. NCDOT-DBPT BikeWalkNC, advocacy groups, MPOs/RPOs, municipalities, Healthy Environments Collaborative 7
DBPT – Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation; HSRC – Highway Safety Research Center; ITRE – Institute for Transportation Research and Education; MPO – Metropolitan Planning Organization; RPO – Rural Planning Organization; FHWA – Federal Highway Administration; HSIP – Highway Safety Improvement Program; HEC – Healthy Environments Collaborative; DHHS – Department of Health and Human Services; SRTS – Safe Routes to School; DPI – Department of Public Instruction; STEP – Small Towns Economic Prosperity Program; CTP – Comprehensive Transportation Plan; DENR – Department of Environment and Natural Resources; ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act; PROWAG – Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines
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