Infrastructure and Transportation
Transportation is not just a minor issue of convenience; it shapes the opportunities available to each person in Cleveland and impacts their health.
Infrastructure, public transit, and housing are crucial to take Cleveland to the next level. An individual’s ability to move around freely and easily is the single most important factor influencing social mobility and access to jobs, training, healthy foods, and health care. In this light, transportation is not just a minor issue of convenience; it shapes the opportunities available to each person in Cleveland and impacts their health.
Historically, transportation policies and budgets have prioritized the mobility and convenience of motor vehicle drivers over more affordable transportation options, such as public transit, and the safety of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. Low-income residents, the elderly, and people with limited mobility are far more likely to rely on public transportation as well as suffer from transportation-related injuries, health issues, and fatalities.
Questions to Ask Candidates:
How will you work to include health impact assessments of publicly-funded infrastructure Will you commit to requiring health impact assessments for publicly funded infrastructure projects?
What steps will you take to advocate in the Ohio Statehouse and Congress for increased public transportation and trail funding?
What steps will you take to create an equitable, community-informed, citywide transportation plan that addresses cars, trains, buses, pedestrians, and bicyclists?