The ActFRESH Campaign & Transportation Reform

Every resident of Massachusetts deserves the opportunities that come with a healthy neighborhood: good schools with healthy food and physical activity, safe places that promote walking and biking, affordable grocery stores, healthy housing, and clean air and water. These are some of the “fresh environments that support
health” that inspire our name: Act FRESH.

Unfortunately, the infrastructure in too many of our communities limits options for physical activity and healthy eating.

That’s why we are part of the Act FRESH Campaign. The campaign is a project of the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) and is led by a diverse group of MPHA member organizations – grassroots organizations and statewide associations from every region of the Commonwealth. We are taking action to build a better future for Massachusetts families by improving access to healthy, affordable food and safe public spaces for physical activity.

Act FRESH has recently unveiled a package of policy reforms to combat costly chronic disease and support healthy eating and active living. A new report outlining the package includes a strong focus on transportation revenue and reform. We along with the Act FRESH Campaign will support raising significant new revenue for transportation in a way that protects low and moderate income families, in order to allow for investments that focus on underinvested communities, communities of color, and needs of vulnerable groups including youth, seniors, low-income families, and persons with disabilities.

The campaign is calling attention to the profound effects that transportation policy has on public health, including the potential for many positive impacts such as:

Physical Activity. Promote greater physical activity and lower body weight by supporting walking and biking infrastructure. Better access to public transit often increases physical activity, since many people walk to and from transit stops.
Air Quality. Reduce emissions and improve health outcomes related to asthma, allergies, and other respiratory conditions.
Injuries and Deaths. Reduce injuries and fatalities from traffic accidents.
Access to Opportunity and Healthy Resources. Ensure access to jobs and essential goods and services; and connect residents to resources such as healthy food stores and health care facilities.

In addition to transportation policy, the campaign’s platform includes:

supporting the implementation of the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund,
passing legislation to reform our state’s outdated zoning and planning laws,
bolstering physical education and physical activity in schools, and
improving access to healthy food retailers.

About the Act FRESH Campaign

The Act FRESH Campaign, launched in 2010, is built on the notion that healthy people need healthy places, but that the infrastructure in too many of our communities limits healthy options.

Over the last two years, the Act FRESH Campaign has changed the conversation about chronic disease prevention. We’ve built new partnerships with local leaders in every corner of the state; helped pass the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund; built new and creative alliances with education, planning, land use, and transportation; and moved the needle on healthy policies in communities and at the State House. In the two years ahead, we will build on this success for an even wider reach and greater impact.

The Campaign Leadership Team includes: