Lecture 19: Transport Flashcards
what is the most common type of transport in nz?
private vehicles!! (75%)
why are private vehicles most common?
more convenient for urban spaces and for our current lifestyle
esp bc public transport isnt that efficient
what impact does transport have on health?
whether intentional or unintentional, environmental decision making influences health outcomes
e.g. communicable disease, NCDs, injury
what is automobile dependency?
we have a real bad automobile dependency situation in NZ.
leads to increased car traffic, more injuries, more noise and air pollution, forces people out of cities, increases distance, so need for private vehicle and cycle continues
what are some health outcomes of car dominance?
- sedentary behaviour
- air pollution
- injuries
CVD, diabetes, respiratory illness, cancer, mental health, physical health, social etc
what is the estimated transport burden in NZ?
- we have car dominated systems
- health impacts via road injury, air pollution, physical inactivity
- equity and sustainability impacts
- similar effects to tobacco and obesity
what transport inequities does NZ have?
access to benefits
- car dependance unaffordable for many low income households = loss of access to essential health promoting destinations
- poor access for people with disabilities
- inequities in investment in a range of modes, including PT services and active transport
we see inequitable exposure to harms too
- road traffic injury
- air pollution outcomes
- physical inactivity and its consequences
what are the estimated health gains of not exposed to transport?
- increased physical activity and decreased road injury for all sex and ethnicity
- however biggest impact for maori males
does transport impact climate change?
yes
- CO2 and energy inefficiency are major contributors to greenhouse gas emisions and climate change
- making changes to transport can help with climate action
is fixing transport easy?
no it is very complex
changing one aspect will have conequences on another area positive or negative.
it requires multiple sectors and consideration of lifestyles, economy etc
why is transport the way it is?
the way we’ve set up the environment is the problem
design of cities
its more convenient to have a car than public transport or walk
how can we improve health with transport?
creating a healthier and sustainable transport system would bring substantial benefits for the planet, for population health, society and the economy
what could a sustainable and healthy city look like?
- design cities so that everything is close, accessible, more walk/bike space
- design health promoting cities
- improve transport, low traffic neighbourhoods
- bike/scooter/walk/wheelchair spaces
- parks/green spaces etc etc
what are the global recomendations for transport? vs what NZ does
- avoidance
- modal shift
- energy efficiency
- fuel carbon intensity
avoiding light vehicle, freight and aviation trips
NZ ministry of transport prioritises
- electric vehicle incentives
- investigating biofuels
- fuel efficient truck driver training and freight advice
- fuel economy information
there’s a disconnect between global recommendations and NZ ideas as ours are very incremental, slow changes suggestions while we should be making bigger changes
very small funding is put into things like cycling or public transport
whats the best way to shift to healthier transport?
combination of ‘carrot’ and ‘sticks’
so things that encourage people to make changes vs things that punish them
depends and need to find balance
