Measuring Access to Improve Public Health – Phase II

Details

• Creators:
  Gonzales, Eric J. ; Christofa, Eleni ; Luo, Jiewen ; Cardenas, Christian
• Corporate Creators:
  University of Massachusetts at Amherst
• Corporate Contributors:
  Massachusetts Department of Transportation ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Access Access And Public Health Accessibility Bicycle Level Of Traffic Stress Bicycles Bus Transit Data Analysis Data Files Driving Households Low Income Groups Metrics (Quantitative Assessment) Microtransit National Walkability Index Public Health Public Transit Social Determinants Of Health Social Factors Traffic Transportation Access Vulnerable Road Users Walkability Walking

  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  25-069
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Massachusetts
• Edition:
  Final Report: Sept 2023 - August 2025
• Corporate Publisher:
  Massachusetts. Department of Transportation
• Abstract:
  This study advances transportation access metrics that support public health planning across Massachusetts. Building on Phase I, which focused on food access, Phase II expands the scope to include healthcare, higher education, and parks. The research improves methods to account for walkability, bikeability, and the role of microtransit alongside fixed-route transit. Using consistent statewide datasets and spatial tools such as Conveyal and Replica, the project generates high-resolution access maps to key destinations. Demographic data are integrated to quantify disparities faced by vulnerable populations. To examine links between access and health, geographic random forest models relate accessibility and demographic variables to chronic health outcomes including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Results show that access by walking, biking, transit, and driving to essential destinations varies in importance for predicting health outcomes. Limited access to critical destinations among low-income and zero-vehicle households is especially associated with poorer health. The study concludes with policy recommendations to embed access metrics into planning tools, including dashboards that guide equitable transportation investments and promote public health across Massachusetts.
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d9165c11689993eb38d87a28f62e41eaee65a458edc1bc4f7d7f669dc98c68ab9cbd709132a63cc1faf2bbff0807539f2a0564bba2fa20f049e5a688e969c6a9
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/86811/dot_86811_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 5.90 MB ]