SE McLoughlin Boulevard Active Transportation Road Safety Audit

Oregon Public Health Institute, in partnership with Clackamas County Public Health and the Clackamas County Department of Transportation and Development, conducted an HIA in 2014 on a road safety audit conducted on a half-mile section of McLoughlin Boulevard (also known as OR 99E) in Jennings Lodge, Oregon. Its aim was to give transportation department staff information about the potential health impacts of solutions it proposed after it conducted a road safety audit (RSA) as well as build the capacity of Clackamas County Public Health to conduct HIAs.

The HIA team assessed and scored how the RSA could impact three health determinants: opportunities for physical activity, exposure to air and noise pollutants, and access to health-supportive resources, such as schools and employment. The assessment found that all but five of 42 solutions the transportation department proposed due to the audit are likely to improve people’s health. This is due to the likelihood of more physical activity, improved air quality and noise exposure, and better access to jobs and employment. Only one—a pedestrian crossing at McLoughlin Boulevard—contains potential safety risks. The HIA team recommended that the county use its HIA scores to inform how it selects and prioritizes projects.

This HIA was conducted through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Healthy Community Design Initiative.