Season 5 Episode 2

Fueling the Route to Public Health

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), commonly known as “The T,” describes a network of trains, buses, and other commuter public transportation systems serving the Greater Boston area. The T is often regarded as one of the best public transit systems in the United States, but many Bay Staters will tell you that it is far from perfect and creates massive barriers to overall transportation.

In 2022, 5.7% of American adults lacked access to reliable transportation. When people don’t have consistent access to safe transportation, they often lack access to health services, leading to poor health outcomes. Additionally, poor transportation encourages excessive car use, and the overall fragmentation of our travel leads to a significant waste of energy and environmental damage.

In this episode of PHPod, host Abby Varker explores how public transportation can be a mode of public health improvement, not just a method for commuting to work. Experts on health, transportation, and energy discuss how the public can use transportation as a pathway to better health and how policies can create a cleaner, more efficient transportation system for our society.

Jed Paul is a primary care physician and social media influencer (@jeddeo1 on TikTok), creating content about his adventures on public transit. Now living in the Bay Area of California, Paul spent years living in Boston and connecting with his audience about how trains bring people together and, at times, even separate us. Jonathan Buonocore is an assistant professor of environmental health at Boston University School of Public Health with a focus on energy and transit. His work evaluates how public health methodologies should be included in public energy and transportation policies to address environmental health concerns like climate change.