Metropolitan Kansas City's
Long-Range Transportation Plan

walkers on Levee Trail in Riverside, Mo.

Goal: Public Health

Facilitate healthy, active living

Public health is a key component to a high quality of life. The pattern and design of development greatly impacts accessibility and influences the ability to develop active, healthy lifestyles.

The Metropolitan Kansas City Obesity Report found in 2003 that 59.2% of Missouri adults and 57% of Kansas adults are overweight or obese. Access to active modes of transportation — walking, biking, public transit — can help reduce the demand on our overall transportation system, promote healthy and active living, and increase our overall quality of life.

 

Strategies

1. Encourage development standards that support active modes of transportation (bicycling, walking, transit).

Calculate Emissions

2. Fund transportation projects that help attain federal air quality and ozone standards.

Alternative Fuelsidle-free zones
Designating "idle-free" zones near schools can help reduce children's exposure to harmful vehicle emissions, a major contributor to air pollution.

Comments

"Bicycling/walking is least expensive mode, least pollution mode, healthiest mode, helps address obesity/sedentary life issues."

"I love, love, love the Trolley Trail. I ride to business meetings, grocery shopping on my bike when I can. Seriously, accelerate safe bike and pedestrian options and invest in some public education to get more people using them."

"Being a pedestrian is not ‘alternative transportation,' it is the most basic form of transportation."

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Challenges

  • Higher levels of public transit, while considered a healthier option, have negative health impacts from vehicle emissions. These burdens are particularly born by lower income populations who rely on public transit the most.
  • Existing designs of some neighborhoods present barriers to accessibility, creating disconnection between uses.

Performance Factors

  • Ozone
  • Physical Health