Millions of Americans miss medical care and other important day-to-day appointments due to a lack of access to reliable transportation.

Almost 6 percent of Americans were unable to reach medical appointments or other important activities due to a lack of reliable transportation in the last 12 months, reveals new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
Steven Ross Johnson outlines the results in U.S. News & World Report, noting that “Overall, the data indicates between 13 million and 14 million adults in the U.S. had recently faced the issue in 2022, according to a CDC spokesperson.” Among people living below the federal poverty line, the rate increased to 16 percent.
Lack of access to transportation can impact people’s health over the short and long term. James Hardy of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, told U.S. News & World Report, “At its core, lack of reliable transportation creates a barrier for folks to get to the basic needs and services that families require in order to be healthy.”
For Hardy, this stems in part from the car-centric development that dominates most U.S. communities, limiting mobility for people who don’t own cars or can’t drive. Hardy notes that “narrowing health disparities tied to a lack of transportation will only come with more substantive changes to how government officials plan and invest in transportation.”
FULL STORY: Millions of Americans Lack Reliable Transportation. It May Affect Their Health.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie