TDM Tidbits: The Role of TDM in Public Health
Through TDM, communities become healthier, happier, and more connected. From encouraging active transportation to reducing emissions, these strategies offer public health benefits that make a real difference. In this month’s TDM Tidbits, discover how TDM is helping reduce negative health outcomes while supporting stronger overall well-being.
Hear from Chris Bongorno, TDM-CP (Toole Design), Marne Duke, TDM-CP (Metro), and Eliza Yu-Dietz, TDM-CP (MTA Shared Mobility (Operations)) below!
Chris Bongorno, TDM-CP
Effective TDM strategies help increase access to safe, convenient, active transportation options for travelers across all trip types, in communities of all sizes, and regardless of age, ability, or income. These strategies can also ensure that people stay connected to wellness and recreational resources, have access to healthy foods, and reduce social isolation.
Marne Duke, TDM-CP
TDM programs help people learn how to use travel options that can increase the likelihood of them reaching physical activities goals, and can greatly improve ambient air quality, reducing a multitude of negative health outcomes.
Eliza Yu-Dietz, TDM-CP
TDM contributes to healthier communities and reduces negative health outcomes through education and socialization. For example, teaching a child how to ride a bike is a skill that can stick with them into adulthood and introduces another way of moving around on their own. Socializing alternative modes of transportation via joining a social bicycling group or signing up for an organized run/race boosts a healthier lifestyle and better moods.
Chris Bongorno, TDM-CP
TDM communication and education strategies can inform travelers about the benefits of walking, biking, and transit use, as well as how to access these options. Incentive and support programs can help people "over the hurdle" of that first trip and encourage sustained behaviors once new patterns and routines are established. Essentially, though, these options need to be convenient, affordable, and safe before TDM practitioners promote them, which speaks to the need for coordination on infrastructure and service planning and implementation.
Marne Duke, TDM-CP
TDM works to inform, educate residents on how to use travel options, and ultimately normalize non-drive alone car trips.
Eliza Yu-Dietz, TDM-CP
TDM strategies encourage active transportation by reducing the individual use of car dependence for a trip. Instead, a trip can be completed via transit, carpooling/vanpool, bicycling, walking or a micro-mobility device whether the trip can be completed through one of these modes or multiple modes. All of these modes would either help reduce the negative impact individual car usage has on the environment and instead get people moving their bodies from point A to point B.
Chris Bongorno, TDM-CP
Toole Design has implemented a number of "transportation ambassador" programs, including recent efforts in Columbus, Ohio and Atlanta, GA, working in partnership with local governments, health departments, and regional transportation agencies to ensure that communities of all types benefit from education and encouragement activities. When developed and implemented with equity and inclusion at the forefront, and in close coordination with trusted community partners, these ambassador programs represent an equitable TDM strategy that can help build or restore relationships and promote healthy travel options.
Marne Duke, TDM-CP
TDM programs can geographically focus on historically underserved neighborhoods and communities. These are often people who are transit or other TO-dependent, so many TDM incentives programs are not geared towards them. We are working to change that in the Portland region - to start with this community when designing incentive programs.
Eliza Yu-Dietz, TDM-CP
TDM programs can be designed to address health equity and ensure all population benefits by lowering barriers to entry by reducing or removing the cost to access TDM programs for low-income individuals, certain age populations and in different languages. In addition, TDM programs can be designed to provide free, accessible educational opportunities for communities to learn about these programs and be able to try multi-modal methods to feel like it's for them and could work for their lifestyle.
Chris Bongorno, TDM-CP
Marne Duke, TDM-CP
Increased use of travel options leads to greater health and quality of life for both the user and the community as a whole. Less traffic, and more active people naturally leads to better health and wellbeing outcomes, but secondarily, I believe this leads to stronger, more connected communities and people willing to advocate for cities and places designed for people and not cars.
Eliza Yu-Dietz, TDM-CP
Bicycling and walking are connections that exist linking TDM initiatives to improving air quality and healthy lifestyles. Bicycling has historically been great exercise for the body and is scientifically known to boost one’s mood regardless of trip length. Similarly, walking just 15-20 minutes and going outside on a routine basis is a low-impact exercise that everyone can do at any age and helps maintain mobility longer. Both bicycling and walking are relatively affordable to free methods of exercise.
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