Access to Healthy Food Food Transport and Public Transit Updated January 2007 What does transportation policy have to do with fruits and vegetables? Transportation policies can help low-income families, older adults and others with mobility challenges gain access to supermarkets, farmers’ markets and other sources of affordable, healthy food. Most existing transit systems are designed to meet commuter needs rather than urban shopping patterns. Siting a farmers’ market or grocery store in a transit-oriented development or in close proximity to a bus stop is an example of the role transportation policy plays in nutrition access. Transportation policies can also assist small- and medium-family farmers transport their produce to the consumer, often an expensive and time consuming process. Transportation support systems that assist with delivery and other logistics for direct marketing programs have emerged as a critical need to make these programs successful. The NCSL Healthy Community Design Project regularly collects resources of interest to legislators, policymakers and those interested in nutrition access-related issues. We provide the links below for informational purposes only, and they do not necessarily reflect NCSL positions. Transportation and Food: The Importance of Access This policy brief by the Center for Food and Justice at the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute details the need for increased transportation and access to high quality food retailers in low-income urban communities. Homeward Bound: Food-Related Transportation Strategies for Low Income and Transit Dependent Communities Food access, transportation policy, and innovative transportation programs aare highlighted in this report. Examples of Local Transportation Policies The L-Tower Avenue route in Hartford, Connecticut was designed as part of the Jobs Access program to link people who lived in the north end with jobs, shopping and medical service. Grocery shopping was cited as the primary reason to take the bus by 33% of riders.
The Austin, Texas Capital Metro, working with the Austin/Travis County Food Policy Council started a “grocery bus” line in 1996 with the specific intent of providing improved food access to residents of the primarily low-income, Latino Eastside. This bus line links these low-income neighborhoods with two supermarkets. Using grant funds awarded by the Washington Small Farm and Direct Marketing Program in 2003, the Pike Place Senior Market Basket Community Supported Agriculture program addressed transportation issues by delivering fresh fruits and vegetables from small farms to low-income seniors in King County. |