Transportation Barriers

Transportation affects many aspects of an individual’s health and well-being – from accessing healthcare services and healthy food options to maintaining social connections. Lack of transportation is the leading cause of patient no-shows for medical appointments, and missed appointments are associated with increased medical care costs for the patient, disruption of patient care and provider-patient relationships, delayed care and increased emergency room visits. Not only is access to transportation a determinant of health in itself, it is also a barrier to addressing other health-related social needs, such as access to healthy food and social connections. Further, transportation infrastructure, including accessible public transportation, walk-able communities and bike-lanes that supports healthy transit options can help boost population health.