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Access to healthy foods through transit

An assessment of Metro’s Westside Subway Extension. Access to healthy foods through transit. Presented by: Tamanna Rahman PP 224A Winter 2012 Midterm. Metro’s Proposed Westside Subway Extension Project. Subway-to-the-Sea…well sort of.

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Access to healthy foods through transit

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  1. An assessment of Metro’s Westside Subway Extension Access to healthy foods through transit Presented by: Tamanna Rahman PP 224A Winter 2012 Midterm

  2. Metro’s ProposedWestside Subway Extension Project Subway-to-the-Sea…well sort of http://www.metro.net/projects/westside/feis-eir-fact-sheet/ • Sept 2010 - Metro releases DEIR/EIS • Extends Purple line from Wilshire/Western to the Westwood VA • Project area: • most densely populated urban corridor • Main centers of employment in SoCal • Expected completion date: 2022 (earliest) • Winter/Spring 2012 – FEIR/EIS to be released

  3. Wilshire Transit Alternatives HIA • UCLA HIA Project and LADPH submit joint 18-pg comment letter • HIA Report • How proposed Westside subway project and transit alternatives will impact public health • Provides recommendations

  4. Distribution of BMI in LA County • Obesity/overweight due to both lack of physical activity and poor nutrition • In LA County: • 15.1% of adults consume fruits and vegetables per day • 40% of adults eat fast food at least once a week (possibly is higher depending on location) Data source: CHIS Source: http://www.lapublichealth.org/docs/keyindicators.pdf

  5. In Los Angeles County… • 35.9% of adults are overweight (BMI 25-30) 22.2 % of adults are obese (BMI > 30) 22.9% of children in grades 5, 7, & 9 are obese (BMI above the 95th percentile Data source: LAHealthNOW, ,UCLA Mapshare, AmericanFactFInder Source: http://www.lapublichealth.org/docs/keyindicators.pdf

  6. Housing expenditures that exceed 30% of household income is conventionally viewed as an indicator of a housing affordability problem. More spent on housing (and even transportation) means less available for discretionary spending (food, health care, recreation…) Data source: Social Explorer/ACS, UCLA Mapshare

  7. Lower-Middle Income Households: Impact of rent on disposal income is compounded by the fact that these are the same areas where the majority of the population are near poverty or low-income. Lower income neighborhoods tend to have fewer grocery stores and an abundance of fast food restaurants and convenience stores compared to higher-income neighborhoods. Data source: Social Explorer/ACS, Network for a Healthy California, UCLA Mapshare

  8. TANF Qualified Households: Near poverty as measured by qualification for TANF (temporary assistance for needy families – food stamps, housing assistance…) Supermarkets within walking distance may foster access to and consumption of fresh, healthful foods while simultaneously serving as destinations that encourage PA Data sources: Social Explorer/ACS, Network for a Healthy California, UCLA Mapshare

  9. Recommendations to Metro Create new routes, increase service or re-route buses to better serve low-income residents who need access to grocery stores. (Hartford, CT) Use TOD and new development in already built-up urban areas to attract grocery stores as tenants. (Washington, DC) Organize weekly farmers markets at transit stop (Vermont/Wilshire station)

  10. Skills Used • Geoprocessing • Clip • Buffer • Geocoding (supermarkets, farmers markets, fast food locations) • Custom shapefile creation • Proposed subway route and stations • Food environment (supermarket, farmers markets, fast food) • Inset map • Aggregating attribute fields • aggregated annual household income data to highlight low-income populations in project area. • Boundary sub-set selection • created to highlight project area that is within ½ mile of subway stops • Selection by Location • Graduated symbols & colors, pie chart

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