Draft MTP/SCS Comments Received - sacog

SCS Health & Equity Metrics August 2011
o Measure respiratory disease caused by PM 2.5 and NO (i.e., connect modeled
emissions with projected health outcomes).
Physical activity:
o Measure physical activity and chronic disease co‐benefits of transportation
priorities, projects, policies, and changes.
Accessibility & VMT:
o Measure access to a more comprehensive list of goods and services
Injuries:
o Measure injuries per capita in addition to per 100 million VMT
o Do EJ analysis of injuries by mapping injuries and fatalities and providing totals
disaggregated by geography, income level, race, and disability.
Environmental Justice:
o Do an equity analysis for every indicator
o Measure proportion of below market rate housing proposed within 1,000 foot
buffer of busy roadways vs. market rate housing for analysis and mitigation
purposes.
Comments below follow the chapters of the MTP/SCS for easier inclusion. When alternate or
supplemental indicators and measures are suggested, they have been printed in bold for easy
identification. Important appendices that we have attached to this letter are:
Appendix A – a table comparing SACOG’s performance measures to health and equity metrics
for SCSs. This comparison table shows how the Health & Equity metrics (developed by HIP and
over 20 other health and equity focused organizations and agencies around the state; see
Appendix C) would fit in with existing performance measures included in the MTP/SCS. We
recommend that SACOG consider adding some of the Health & Equity metrics to their existing
list of performance measures.
Appendix B – detailed comments on SACOG policies and strategies; and
Appendix C – Human Impact Partners’ report entitled “Elevating health and equity in Sustainable
Communities Strategies”, which includes our suggested metrics, measurement methodologies,
health and equity evidence supporting their inclusion, and standards.
We begin with comments on Appendix G‐6 because the performance measures included in this
appendix are broad and overarching.
Appendix G‐6: Performance Measures
The crux of our comments have to do with outcomes; as a society, we value what we measure. As
such, we note the absence of some important health outcomes in SACOG’s many excellent
performance measures upon which you will be monitoring the progress of the MTP/SCS.
Entrance into the discussion in the SACOG region by some of the groups signed onto this letter
unfortunately came at a later stage of MTP/SCS development, which precluded early involvement
into what performance measures should ultimately be used in the MTP/SCS. Others of us were
involved early on and commented on MTP/SCS development from our perspective, but did not have
specific public health indicator expertise. The undersigned together support the detailed
suggestions put forth in this letter and we respectfully submit our comments and request that even
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