Johns Hopkins University, alongside lawmakers and government officials, gathered at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to chart a course for a healthier, more sustainable future in transportation. This pivotal meeting, held on June 17, 2024, focused on evidence-based approaches to integrate both climate and human health considerations into national transportation infrastructure decisions.
At the forefront of this initiative is the Johns Hopkins Center for Climate-Smart Transportation, directed by Shima Hamidi. Hamidi emphasized the critical nature of their work, stating, "Transportation is the number one producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. It's just going to get worse unless we can come up with actionable research, research that is ready to be implemented, ready to be translated into changes in policy and practice." This statement underscores the urgency of the situation and the need for immediate, practical solutions.
The discussion delved into various innovative strategies to reshape transportation infrastructure. These included narrowing road lanes to accommodate more pedestrians and cyclists while reducing asphalt coverage and collision risks. The promotion of electric vehicles was another key topic, with emphasis on ensuring equitable access to charging stations and sustainable expansion of the power grid. Researchers also explored the potential of automated vehicles in improving food distribution in urban areas, and the critical role of public transportation in enhancing access to jobs, healthcare, education, and other opportunities.
A significant focus was placed on the intersection of transportation and public health. Ed Schlesinger, dean of the Whiting School of Engineering and moderator of the roundtable, highlighted this connection, stating, "Clearly human health and transportation intersect." The discussion encompassed strategies to reduce air pollution from transportation, particularly in vulnerable neighborhoods, and the importance of conducting health impact assessments to understand the complex relationships between transportation systems and public health outcomes.
The event also saw participation from high-level government officials. Robert Hampshire, deputy assistant secretary for research and technology and chief science officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation, spoke about the opportunities presented by the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law. He emphasized the administration's commitment to using evidence-based approaches in implementing this massive infrastructure buildout, particularly in areas of resilience and climate change mitigation.
The importance of health equity in transportation planning was a recurring theme. Keshia Pollack Porter, chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management, stressed the need to apply a health equity lens to all transportation projects. She posed critical questions about how strategies, from EV charging station placement to disaster response plans, can be designed to advance health equity rather than exacerbate existing disparities.
The Center for Climate-Smart Transportation, which is spearheading much of this research, was launched in 2023 with a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. It operates as a consortium of six institutions: Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Texas at Austin, University of Utah, Morgan State University, and Diné College. This collaborative approach brings together diverse expertise and perspectives, essential for tackling the complex, multifaceted challenges at the intersection of transportation, climate change, and public health.
As the discussion concluded, it was clear that the path forward requires a holistic, interdisciplinary approach. Ben Zaitchik, a professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Johns Hopkins University, aptly summarized this sentiment: "It's a multi-player, multi-objective problem, and so the only way you [solve that] in a way that is equitable and robust is if you have everyone together." This collaborative spirit, combined with the commitment to evidence-based policy-making, sets the stage for transformative changes in how we approach transportation infrastructure in the face of climate change and public health challenges.
