A healthier life? Try public transportation – Transit Score helps get you there

CNT tours Cleveland’s HealthLine, a Bus Rapid Transit route along Euclid Corridor, originally uploaded by Center for Neighborhood Technology.

It may be time to evolve from “an apple a day” to “a train ride a day” to keep the doctor away.

A new study from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reports that residents of transit oriented, smart growth communities live healthier, longer lives. Living in these places lowers risk in five of the 10 leading causes of death, including cancer, heart disease, and car accidents.

Why is this the case? Individuals who live near a quality public transportation system drive less, which significantly reduces the risk of an accident. They spend more time walking, which improves overall fitness. Public transportation creates less pollution per passenger mile than cars, which decreases the risk of some cancers and birth defects.

In sum, says APTA president William Millar, “Public transportation enhances the overall quality of life of an individual and a community.”

Fortunately, if you are hunting for your next home and want to reap the health benefits of a strong public transportation system, there’s a new online tool to help. As an added bonus, it helps you estimate just how much extra money could fill your pockets instead of your gas tank.

The developer of the popular Walk Score calculator, which rates the walkability of neighborhoods on a 1-100 scale, has just launched a similar tool called Transit Score in more than 40 cities. Many real estate sites already use Walk Score to help consumers make healthy housing choices. ZipRealty.com announced that it expects to introduce Transit Score, as well.

After calculating a Transit Score, clicking the Commute tab will reveal the estimated housing-plus-transportation costs for the address entered. Zillow.com provides the housing cost estimates while Abogo, a tool from the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) calculates the transportation costs using estimates for car ownership, gas, and transit.

Visit Abogo directly to see maps depicting the range of transportation costs across a region. It’s striking what a difference it can make on a household budget to move just a few short miles.

Having more transportation choices can improve your health and financial well-being. And with Transit Score, you now have one more tool to help you make the healthiest choice for you and your family. Forget an apple a day – how ’bout these apples?