Author: Lou Kelley Brewer

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

Transportation Planning and Public Health worked closely together a century ago but drifted apart over the decades. Today, both groups face enormous challenges. Transportation planning needs to replace aging infrastructures while preparing for population growth and the demands that come with it. Resources are already taxed and new ways of doing business are needed. Public Health successfully addressed communicable diseases during the last century only to be confronted with the high cost of treating chronic diseases including obesity in this century. Prevention in the form of increased physical activity as a key strategy led Public Health to the built environment and alternative forms of transportation. A call for both groups to collaborate was issued by national and international leaders and yet far too little collaboration has occurred at the local level. The problem addressed in this study is the disconnect between Transportation Planning and Public Health. The research question is "what are the barriers to collaboration between Transportation Planning and Public Health?" It is expected that local-level government collaboration, organizational incentives and objectives that encourage collaboration, positive history of collaboration with other organizations, personal and professional contacts with other organizations, and effective leadership will be important factors in support of collaboration. It is also expected that no political will, slower process, lack of trust, lack of funding, different mission, different motivation, different culture, and uneven playing field due to power will be top barriers to collaboration. The theoretical framework used is the Network Model which is compared to the Traditional Model. In addition to a literature review regarding public health, transportation planning, collaboration, and the Network and Traditional Models, this study includes a focus group and a survey. The focus group included twelve senior level participants from public health and transportation planning in the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Region. The survey included a broader segment of the same group totaling 127 respondents. Findings included information about organization practices internally and externally regarding collaboration and Network Model values. The top three supportive factors for collaboration included local level government cooperation, effective leadership of the collaboration, and personal and professional contacts. The top barriers to collaboration included lack of funding, no political will, slower process, different mission and motivation, and uneven playing field due to power. Almost 80% of the survey participants indicated that collaboration between transportation planning and public health was important. Eight action items were identified to enhance collaboration. The action items included 1.) Make the compelling argument to stakeholders as to the importance of collaboration between transportation planning and public health. 2.) Learn together 3.) Identify/develop/utilize tools 4.) Engage leaders 5.) Provide incentives 6.) Build trust 7.) Include local government and 8.) Work within the Network Model for Action.