Sierra Vista Active Transportation HIA

Healthy transportation, and the relationship of health to our built environment is important to building and designing communities and transportation facilities that do not contribute to the growing obesity epidemic and the incidence of obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, and COPD, and heart disease.  PLAN*et conducted an HIA for the Sierra Vista Metropolitan Planning Organziation to identify the benefits of bicycle and pedestrian facilities in Sierra Vista.  Sierra Vista is the location of Fort Huachuca and a high percent of the population is disabled and over age 65. Additionally, there is a high percentage of obese enlisted personnel at the Fort. By examining the locations of disabled persons, this HIA found that the sidewalk implementation plan prioritzation process did not serve a large portion of this population.  Additionally, the HIA identified that that isolation (a common indicator of high rates of depression) was high within Sierra Vista, and the sidewalk implementation plan did not serve areas with higher isolation rates.  Recommendations from this HIA included included adjusting the priorities of the sidewalk implementation plan to ensure that the jurisdictions’ disabled population was served; as well recommending better bicycle and pedestrian facilities to help combat high rates of obesity at the Fort and within the city