ABOUT
PATHS seeks to enhance multi-sector collaboration to further develop active community environments, walkability and active transportation to advance health equity and create a healthier Virginia. This work is based on input from local practitioners and seeks to provide opportunities for improved communication and collaboration, training for staff, and data support.
Core to the PATHS mission is providing support to local practitioners, including:
Inspiration from local case studies
Knowledge through best practice resources
Training from the Virginia Walkability Action Institute
Launched in 2019, Prioritizing Active Transportation, Health, and Safety in Virginia (PATHS) is an ongoing collaboration of staff representing the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), other state agencies, nonprofits, and advocacy groups throughout the Commonwealth.
PATHS is working to create a blueprint for improving walkability through the lens of health equity and transportation justice. The PATHS team reviewed existing resources and practices from across the U.S. and received input from local officials on the gaps in known resources for integrating walkability and health equity into transportation policies, plans, and projects. The PATHS team is creating a framework for localities to leverage data, enhance interdisciplinary collaboration, and improve focus on walkability and health equity in transportation policy, plans, and projects moving forward.
To learn more about the PATHS Initiative, and how it has developed, watch these webinar recordings.
November 2020
In this webinar, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Virginia Department of Health (VDH) share their collaborative efforts to address walkability and health equity in the Commonwealth, with a focus on local agencies, health officials, and transportation professionals.
May 2021
In this webinar, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Virginia Department of Health (VDH) share their collaborative efforts to address walkability and health equity in the Commonwealth, with a focus on local agencies, health officials, and transportation professionals.
SHORT STORIES
Be inspired by Agencies that are coming together to address health equity and walkability with these five short stories.
Danville
Danville ranked 132 out of 134 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 2014, indicating a very poor health score. There was a strong push to change this fact. The City of Danville, combined forces with numerous agencies and community representatives to address healthy eating, active living, access to healthcare, and healthy spaces.
Fairfax
Fairfax County received a Community Transformation Grant in 2011. They created a council of community leaders to discuss a healthier Fairfax County. The Active Fairfax Transportation Plan is the result of that collaboration, combining the expertise of 16 departments to address how to best connect communities for the benefit of health and active living.
Richmond
The City of Richmond took a different approach with their planning and public health efforts by focusing on proactive policy, systems, and environmental changes to improve health. They formed a multi-disciplined commission for the development and monitoring of the action plan in order to meet their Vision Zero goals by 2030.
