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Transportation Health Risks in United States
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United States Value:

24.0%

Percentage of the population living in disadvantaged census tracts (at or above the 90th percentile) based on any of the following risks: diesel particulate matter exposure, transportation barriers, or traffic proximity and volume

Transportation Health Risks in depth:

Appears In:

Transportation Health Risks by State

Percentage of the population living in disadvantaged census tracts (at or above the 90th percentile) based on any of the following risks: diesel particulate matter exposure, transportation barriers, or traffic proximity and volume

Top StatesRankValue
Bottom StatesRankValue
4635.6%
4736.1%
4840.1%
4947.5%
5051.5%

Transportation Health Risks

10.9%
43.5%
54.8%
65.6%
75.7%
86.1%
109.7%
119.8%
1310.6%
1512.4%
1713.2%
1814.1%
1914.5%
2015.7%
2115.9%
2216.0%
2316.5%
2517.2%
2618.4%
2718.9%
2919.9%
3021.2%
3121.9%
3222.7%
3323.1%
3423.2%
3624.1%
3725.1%
3926.2%
4026.4%
4126.6%
4226.8%
4332.8%
4635.6%
4736.1%
4840.1%
4947.5%
5051.5%
Data Unavailable
Source:
  • Council on Environmental Quality, Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool Index, 2022

Transportation Health Risks Trends

Percentage of the population living in disadvantaged census tracts (at or above the 90th percentile) based on any of the following risks: diesel particulate matter exposure, transportation barriers, or traffic proximity and volume

About Transportation Health Risks

US Value: 24.0%

Top State(s): Wyoming: 0.9%

Bottom State(s): New York: 51.5%

Definition: Percentage of the population living in disadvantaged census tracts (at or above the 90th percentile) based on any of the following risks: diesel particulate matter exposure, transportation barriers, or traffic proximity and volume

Data Source and Years(s): Council on Environmental Quality, Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool Index, 2022

Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of Council on Environmental Quality, Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool Index, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.

This measure aims to capture populations that are disproportionately affected by transportation issues that can negatively impact health, including:

  • Diesel particulate matter exposure.
  • Transportation barriers.
  • Traffic proximity and volume.

Exposure to particulate matter from diesel exhaust can cause asthma and respiratory illness, as well as worsen existing heart or lung disease, leading to an increased number of hospital visits and premature deaths. One study estimated that exposure to ambient particulate matter caused 131,000 premature deaths in the United States in 2015, 21,000 of which were attributable to transportation.

Transportation barriers examine the average cost and time spent on transportation. Having access to reliable transportation allows people to engage in work and learning opportunities as well as access health care and social activities. Transportation can be expensive; American households spent an average of $12,295 on transportation in 2022. 

How close one lives to major roadways can also negatively impact health due to increased exposure to ambient noise, noxious gasses and particulate matter. Additionally, high-speed and high-traffic roadways can act as barriers in a community, discouraging people from engaging in active transportation, which can cause reduced physical activity and access to nutritious foods.

The risk of exposure to the negative effects of transportation is higher among:

Interventions that have been effective in mitigating transportation barriers and pollution while promoting safer access to public transit include:

Additionally, urban planning plays a pivotal role in promoting public health by shaping the built environment to support active transportation (e.g., bike lanes and pedestrian-friendly streets) and air quality and pollution control. New buildings and facilities can limit the time at-risk individuals spend near roads. For instance, a school site may position maintenance and storage facilities near the road while maximizing the distance between the road and playgrounds, athletic fields and classrooms.

Healthy People 2030 has several objectives on environmental health and transportation, including:

  • Reducing the amount of toxic pollutants released into the environment.
  • Reducing the number of days people are exposed to unhealthy air. 
  • Increasing the number of trips to work made by mass transit.
  • Increasing the proportion of adults who walk or bike to get places.

Heaps, Wendy, Erin Abramsohn, and Elizabeth Skillen. “Public Transportation In The US: A Driver Of Health And Equity.” Health Affairs, July 29, 2021, 6. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20210630.810356/full/.

Tessum, Christopher W., Joshua S. Apte, Andrew L. Goodkind, Nicholas Z. Muller, Kimberley A. Mullins, David A. Paolella, Stephen Polasky, et al. “Inequity in Consumption of Goods and Services Adds to Racial–Ethnic Disparities in Air Pollution Exposure.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116, no. 13 (March 26, 2019): 6001–6. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1818859116.

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