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Journal article
A systematic review of empirical and simulation studies evaluating the health impact of transportation interventions
Environmental research, v 186, 109519
Jul 2020
PMID: 32335428
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Urban transportation is an important determinant of health and environmental outcomes, and therefore essential to achieving the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. To better understand the health impacts of transportation initiatives, we conducted a systematic review of longitudinal health evaluations involving: a) bus rapid transit (BRT); b) bicycle lanes; c) Open Streets programs; and d) aerial trams/cable cars. We also synthesized systems-based simulation studies of the health-related consequences of walking, bicycling, aerial tram, bus and BRT use.
Two reviewers screened 3302 unique titles and abstracts identified through a systematic search of MEDLINE (Ovid), Scopus, TRID and LILACS databases. We included 39 studies: 29 longitudinal evaluations and 10 simulation studies. Five studies focused on low- and middle-income contexts. Of the 29 evaluation studies, 19 focused on single component bicycle lane interventions; the rest evaluated multi-component interventions involving: bicycle lanes (n = 5), aerial trams (n = 1), and combined bicycle lane/BRT systems (n = 4). Bicycle lanes and BRT systems appeared effective at increasing bicycle and BRT mode share, active transport duration, and number of trips using these modes. Of the 10 simulation studies, there were 9 agent-based models and one system dynamics model. Five studies focused on bus/BRT expansions and incentives, three on interventions for active travel, and the rest investigated combinations of public transport and active travel policies. Synergistic effects were observed when multiple policies were implemented, with several studies showing that sizable interventions are required to significantly shift travel mode choices.
Our review indicates that bicycle lanes and BRT systems represent promising initiatives for promoting population health. There is also evidence to suggest that synergistic effects might be achieved through the combined implementation of multiple transportation policies. However, more rigorous evaluation and simulation studies focusing on low- and middle-income countries, aerial trams and Open Streets programs, and a more diverse set of health and health equity outcomes is required.
This figure represents a word network created by extracting keywords from the paper abstracts included in our systematic review. Each keyword represents a node in the network; its size is proportional to the number of abstracts in which it appears. Keywords are connected if they are found in the same abstract. The colours represent different communities of words as identified using the Louvain method. [Display omitted]
•Bike lanes and bus rapid transit systems promote physical activity and active travel.•Multi-component interventions can act synergistically to increase active travel.•Few longitudinal health evaluations of aerial trams and open streets programs exist.•Low-and-middle income countries are understudied in the literature.
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Details
- Title
- A systematic review of empirical and simulation studies evaluating the health impact of transportation interventions
- Creators
- Ivana Stankov - Drexel UniversityLeandro M.T. Garcia - UKCRC Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UKMaria Antonietta Mascolli - Universidade de São PauloFelipe Montes - Universidad de Los AndesJosé D. Meisel - Universidad de IbaguéNelson Gouveia - Universidade de São PauloOlga L. Sarmiento - Universidad de Los AndesDaniel A. Rodriguez - University of California, Berkeley, USA; Department of City and Regional Planning and Institute for Transportation Studies, University of California, Berkeley, USA.Ross A. Hammond - Brookings InstitutionWaleska Teixeira Caiaffa - Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisAna V. Diez Roux - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Environmental research, v 186, 109519
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Urban Health Collaborative
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000548186300051
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85083554564
- Other Identifier
- 991019169805704721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Environmental Sciences
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health