The Washington County Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Division, in partnership with the Washington County Department of Land Use and Transportation, conducted a rapid HIA in 2014 to identify the potential health impacts of building a bicycle and pedestrian bridge to join two sections of SW Augusta Lane over Beaverton Creek in Aloha-Reedville, Oregon. The bridge would improve neighborhood connectivity to Beaver Acres Elementary School and the Tualatin Hills Nature Park and was identified as a high-priority project during a three-year livable community plan. The HIA analysis focused on impacts to health through physical activity, school accessibility, bus emissions, academic performance, perceived safety, and neighborhood connectivity. The team reviewed literature and engaged community members and other stakeholders.
The HIA found that the bicycle and pedestrian bridge will have largely positive impacts, by creating more opportunities for physical safety and greater social cohesion. The Washington County Department of Health and Human Services recommended that the bridge be built and gave input on how to address pedestrian safety, crime, vandalism, maintenance and management, and using engagement and education activities to promote use of the bridge.
This HIA was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through a grant administered by the Oregon Health Authority.
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This Health Impact Assessment Report first appeared in The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health. The Cross-Sector Toolkit for Health was originally developed by the Health Impact Project, formerly a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts. The creation of this resource was supported by a grant from the Health Impact Project. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Pew Charitable Trusts, or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
