Transportation connects people to many of the resources that support health and everyday life. Reliable transportation can affect whether someone is able to get to work, school, medical appointments, grocery stores, pharmacies, parks, community centers, and other essential services. For this reason, transportation is more than simply a way of getting from one place to another; it is an important part of health equity and access to opportunity.
Transportation & Access to Opportunity
- When Transportation Becomes a Barrier: Residents of Flint and Genesee County may rely on many different forms of transportation, including personal vehicles, public transit, rides from family or friends, walking, biking, paratransit, and medical transportation services.
For people without consistent access to a vehicle, transportation can require additional time, planning, and expense. Long travel times, limited transit schedules, unreliable transportation, inaccessible routes, or difficulty reaching destinations can create barriers to healthcare, employment, healthy food, education, and community participation.
Transportation barriers can be particularly important for older adults, people with disabilities, households with limited incomes, and residents managing chronic health conditions or frequent medical appointments.
- Connecting People to Resources: Improving transportation access can help residents reach the services and opportunities that support health and well-being. Understanding where transportation barriers exist and which resources are hardest to reach can also help communities plan services more equitably. Transportation and access to opportunity factors to consider include:
- public transportation;
- medical transportation;
- walkability and pedestrian access;
- biking infrastructure;
- commute and vehicle-access data; and
- transportation programs for older adults and people with disabilities.
Continue Exploring Health Equity in Flint
Health is influenced by many interconnected factors. Explore other areas within the interactive Flint community page to learn more about housing, transportation, food access, environmental conditions, community resources, and other conditions that shape health. Visit the Community page here.
