Support Professional Development and Job Creation

Training existing workers and enhancing their skills and abilities must be combined with bringing new workers with a variety of skill levels into the fields of public health, public policy, urban planning, and transportation engineering. A broader background will benefit future transportation professionals.

Recommendations

• Support the development of professionals who are committed to enhancing the relationship between public health and transportation policy through fellowship programs and development of curricula related to integration of these areas.
• Develop pilot training and technical assistance for state and local entities to conduct health impact assessments.
• Work with transportation agencies, professional organizations, and educators to insert training on the health effects of transportation planning and engineering into curricula for transportation planning and engineering students and continuing education for professional transportation planners and engineers. Similarly, work to insert training for public health students and practitioners on transportation policy and its effects on health.
• Provide incentives for communities and states to include environmental and public health professionals in planning activities and in implementing community development initiatives.
• Support measures to increase the capacity of traffic police to improve the enforcement of laws and education of the public related to motor vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle safety.