The Right Path Monthly Newsletter
Volume 3 | January 2020
Founder's Message
I have written and deleted several different versions of this message trying not to wish everyone the typical 'good health and prosperity' for the coming year or confess a resolution that I will never keep. So what else is there? Maybe a litany of what's to come from the IPATH Board of Directors? Ugh.

So this is what I have decided....On Facebook, I posted an announcement a couple of days ago of a 2020 Connection Campaign requesting current members to invite their "friends" to join the IPATH Group. In another group I have created and manage, and yes it's related to Arabian horses, I called for members to come together as a community in 2020. So what's the difference between connections and community?
This is what I found out with a little Internet research.

The motivation to connect with another person is based on three stages:
  1. Creating the Weak Ties: This is the first stage in any relationship
  2. Building the Tie Strength: This cultivates the weak ties into strong relationships
  3. Maintaining the Relationship: This will prevent strong relationships from eroding and reverting back to weak ties.

Well, that's a little confusing.

How do people make the choice of which tie to form, which one to develop and, which to maintain? It's complicated. Game Theory (models of rational human behavior and strategic choices) proposes a simple cost-benefit analysis of mutual gain. Other than the personal interest to connect, there are environmental factors that affect tie formation through two mechanisms that people can meet and connect.
  • Communities (online or offline) - A place where people congregate and how/where social ties are initially formed. These are people who share some common communities at some point in time, and these communities can be geographical, cultural, interest-based, and/or institutional.
  • Social Networks - A mechanism byway of technology that people can meet through friends, colleagues, relatives. Social media makes it easy for people to explore and discover relationships that would normally be unknown.

In Summary, people become connected when:
  1. Weak ties are created in communities (place) and social networks (commonalities)
  2. Weak ties formed between two people depends on a desire to connect, shared communities and network distance (degrees of separation - people in common)

That's still a little confusing, but here's my take on it....

Proposed News Year's Resolution
Let's strengthen the ties with our social and political networks to create a cohesive community of transport and health professionals in 2020. How do we accomplish this monumental task? The first step is always the hardest with the most uncertainty, but often worth the risk, if we look past the fear and doubt. Join IPATH.

On behalf of the IPATH Board of Directors, we wish you a very Happy New Year filled with good health and prosperity. ;0)

Karyn M. Warsow
Founder IPATH/ICTH/TPH Link
Chairman, IPATH Board of Directors

IPATH Membership Renewal/Join
It's that time of year. Time to renew your IPATH membership for 2020.
Oh wait! You're not a member? What are you waiting for? 
The  International Professional Association for Transport & Health (IPATH)  is a platform for cross-disciplinary and multi-sector professionals working at the intersection of transport and health. The aim of PATH is to share information, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration to improve health, quality of life and well-being in communities by advocating for the integration of health in the urban and transport agendas.

IPATH Membership includes dual membership to the  Transport & Health Science Group (THSG ) . IPATH membership extends from  1 January through December 31 , renewed annually. Note that as of May 2019, IPATH is a nonprofit organization, making your membership dues tax deductible.

In addition to the general membership benefits , IPATH has several leadership and committee opportunities available:
Each committee is led by a team of natural leaders who are inspired to share their knowledge and expertise. Currently, the chairs are working on the development of an Action Plan with proposed deliverables such as research/project initiatives, policy position papers, conference presentations, workshops, webinars, consulting services, educational outreach activities and making recommendations to the IPATH Board of Directors to promote organic growth of the association.

Let 2020 be the year that you become an active member of the IPATH community. Get inspired!
IPATH Member Spotlight: Ghassan Abu-Lebdeh, PhD
Ghassan, for his commitment and dedication, was asked to cut the cake during the ICTH 5th birthday celebration as part of the Awards Luncheon on 8 November 2019. Ghassan (and all those pictured) has attended all five years of ICTH. He is also a founding member of IPATH, currently serving as Secretary of the Executive Committee. Ghassan is not only a consummate leader, he is passionate about transport and health and educating the next generation of professionals. IPATH is blessed to have such a man of integrity and kindness representing the association. Thank you, Ghassan.

Ghassan is Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and Transport at the American University of Sharjah in the UAE. His research focus is on the interaction between urban traffic operations and public health. Ghassan teaches traffic control, in particular, congestion and sustainability in transport systems. He earned a doctoral degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. His academic and industry experience spans 25 years in transport operations and planning.
Modeling the desire for using public transport
Co-Authored by Owen D. Waygood
Photos: ICTH 2019 Melbourne, Australia
ABSTRACT
"The desire to use public transport, or use it more frequently, can be an important indicator of people’s intention to travel by public transport. However, the desired and relative desired travel amount (wanting to travel less or more) in the context of public transport use has not yet been analyzed. In this paper, we examine the relationship between actual and desired public transport frequency of 986 students of Laval University, Canada. Results indicate that most respondents have a desired public transport frequency close to their actual frequency. In line with the model of goal-directed behavior we found that – based on ordered logit models – the desire for frequently using public transport is positively affected by attitudes towards – and satisfaction with – public transport, while the desired public transport frequency positively influences actual public transport frequency. Besides positive effects of attitudes and satisfaction, we also found that the desire to travel more frequently by public transport is positively affected by easy car access and living in rural areas. This suggests that rural residents are potential public transport users who are perhaps restricted by their living context and that moving into urban areas may present an opportunity for them to increase public transport use. Finally, we also found that the intention to use public transport in later life (i.e., after university) is positively affected by respondents’ desired public transport frequency." Click HERE to download the full article for FREE.
State-level physical activity planning in the United States: A Report to National Physical Activity Plan Alliance
"The aim of the National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) is to foster a national culture of physical activity that will improve the health of Americans, and one of the overarching priorities of the NPAP is to “support development and implementation of comprehensive physical activity strategic plans at the state, regional, and community levels.” Using the evidence-informed NPAP as a blueprint, states are called to develop stand-alone state-specific physical activity plans that includes context-specific strategies and tactics for all sectors to take a role in physical activity promotion. Prior to this project, the number of states with public health plans that include physical activity and the extent to which those plans align with the NPAP priorities and the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans was unknown." Click Here to download the full report.
ICTH 2019 - Melbourne Acknowledges New Zealand for passing a historic zero carbon bill with near unanimous bipartisan support
The International Conference on Transport & Health (ICTH) was honored to present a Certificate of Award to the New Zealand Government for the passing the zero carbon bill, accepted by country delegates, during the Awards Luncheon on Friday, 8 November 2019.

"The New Zealand parliament has passed landmark legislation that enshrines the country’s commitment to the Paris Agreement into law, and will see the country achieve zero net carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. The legislation establishes New Zealand as one of the few countries in the world with a legislated commitment to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement, with the New Zealand bill committing to establishing policies consistent with limiting global warming to just 1.5°C. The bill was passed with bipartisan support, including from the centre right Nationals, in contrast to Australia where climate and energy policy has provoked toxic debate and scare campaigns from the far right factions that dominates the Coalition government." Click HERE to read the full article.
FREE Webinars
Understanding How Women Travel January 28, 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM EST "What are the needs and experiences of women traversing LA County? LA County Metro recently released a report, “Understanding How Women Travel,” in a first-of-its-kind effort to answer this question. Developing from Metro’s Women and Girls Governing Council, this study aimed to collect data and offer findings that can help improve women’s safety and comfort on transit and attract and retain women to the Metro system."
Health Data Sourcing Insights Webinar Series (Recorded) - Learn how to access, analyze, and use your state's health data sources effectively. Interating state and national level data sources will also be included. Join us and learn:
  • Sources for health data for your specific state
  • Understand metadata around these datasets
  • Use state and national-level data sources effectively
  • Discover powerful insights within the data
"As pedestrian fatalities continue to increase in the United States, cities and towns are learning that traditional approaches to improving safety are insufficient. Join the next Road to Zero Coalition Webinar on January 22 at 1 PM EST featuring  America Walks  - Shifting the Paradigm: Systems Approaches to Road Safety in U.S. Cities, a Road to Zero Coalition Webinar.
The State of Transportation and Health Equity, a field scan from Smart Growth America looks at the intersection of transportation and health equity in the U.S. today. Informed by 92 experts working across disciplines at the local, state, and federal level across the country, the report identifies the biggest challenges to health equity facing our transportation system and the strategies we should use to address them. Join us Thursday, January 23 at 2:30 PM EST for a webinar about the report. We will walk through the report and highlight the most promising strategies to advance health equity through transportation.
Reference Articles & Reports

CSU research finds that urban green space can help people live longer



Institute for Transportation & Development Policy: The Electric Assist: Leveraging E-bikes and E-scooters for More Livable Cities

Corresponding Department for Transport Report. There’s a single line (around page 135) that mentions that 1.0m/s can be used where there are more older pedestrians, or other people needing more time to cross (the previous point in the manual is that 1.2m/s is conventionally used).

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Land use plays a role in pedestrian freeway fatalities

A Primer for Local Governments

Societal Impacts of Connected and Automated Vehicles - LEVITATE (Horizon 2020) is building tools to help European cities, regions and national governments prepare for a future with increasing levels of automated vehicles in passenger cars, urban transport services and urban logistics.





Conferences
Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting , 12-16 January 2020, Washington DC

Active Living Conference 2020 , February 2 – 5, 2020, Orlando, Florida, USA
Innovation and Imagination in Active Living

National Walking Summit 10-11 March 2020, St. Louis, Missouri

Professional Opportunities
Publication

Journal of Transport & Health: Call for papers for the Special Issue: Health equity, social inclusion and mobility Submission Deadline 31 May 2020
Employment

2020-2021 Fulcrum Fellowship - Applications NOW Being Accepted
"The Fulcrum Fellowship is an intensive, year-long leadership development program designed and facilitated by the Center for Community Investment (CCI) at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. CCI recognizes that the environments in which people live, work, and play powerfully determine the choices and opportunities people have to shape their lives. In disadvantaged communities, the legacies of discrimination and disinvestment combine with perceived risk to impede the flow of capital that could finance transformation and broaden opportunity. The program brings together approximately a dozen current and rising leaders who are committed to using community investment to move a strategic challenge of critical importance to their organization and community." Click HERE to learn more and how to apply.
America Walks Opens Search for New Executive Director (Candidates are encouraged to apply before January 15, 2020)

Graduate Research Assistant Position : University of Maryland, Transportation Planning, Modeling and Policy Analysis

PhD Position at University of Cambridge:  Integrating Health With Travel Demand Models

  • Research Analyst
  • LOCUS Real Estate Policy & Analysis Fellow

Planetizen  Great source of open positions!

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