Portland to Lake Oswego Transit Project

Oregon Public Health Institute (OPHI), in collaboration with the local transportation planning agency, conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of transit alternatives for a new proposed public transit corridor in Portland, Oregon. Transit alternatives included light rail or street car, enhanced bus service, or no transportation improvements. The HIA was done in conjunction with an environmental impact statement (EIS). The HIA focused on how the proposed project would affect physical activity levels; air quality; access to services that support health, such as healthy foods, employment, and social services; and traffic injuries.

The HIA focused on how the proposed project would affect physical activity levels; air quality; access to services that support health, such as healthy foods, employment, and social services; and traffic injuries. The assessment found that both the streetcar and bus scenarios would improve opportunities for physical activity, with the latter providing the greatest benefits. While the construction of a streetcar line would temporarily elevate levels of certain air pollutants, the report noted that it would offer modest long-term benefits in air quality by producing the greatest increase in transit use. Finally, the assessment found that both scenarios would improve access to resources to improve health and reduce traffic crash rates, with the streetcar providing the most benefits.