Abstract Manager

Beyond the primary role of transportation systems in providing mobility, transportation noise can impact public health and equity in cities across Canada. Transportation noise (i.e., Airplanes, highways, railway and construction equipment) can be pervasive and constant; and can interfere with people's quality of life. Federal and Provincial governments aim to minimize the extent to which highways have a negative impact on the noise-sensitive areas near them.

World Health Organization (WHO) and many Canadian provinces have deemed noise pollution a growing danger to the health and welfare of the population. Also, some studies have indicated that noise ranks second only to air pollution as the environmental exposure most harmful to public health. However, the impacts posed by transportation noise is often underestimated. In addition, Health impacts inequity related to transportation has been documented, where low-income and minorities communities have a higher exposure to traffic-related noise pollution. Ttransportation noise can cause long-term effects including hearing loss, sleep disturbance, cardiovascular disease, as well as cognitive impairment, worsened behavior and diminished quality of life for children.

Furthermore, Automated vehicles (AVs) are expected to be one of the most disruptive transportation technologies, with potential impacts on public health and health equity. Identifying these impacts and their extent is important to govern AVs and prevent the unintended negative consequences of this technology, both on public health and community equity. It is likely that the initial cost of AVs will be high, and probably only wealthy consumers might be able to afford AVs as personal vehicles. This social inequity in AV adoption could lead to uneven distribution of AVs across households and could result in further health inequities in minority communities.

The goal of the presentation is to explain the relationship between land use and health/equity impacts from transportation noise, as well as how health and equity concerns need to be part of transportation planning and decision-making.