School Proximity to Traffic

The School Proximity to Traffic indicator measures the proportion of neighborhood schools located near high traffic roadways, defined as freeways or major arterial roadways. One in three U.S. public schools are in the “air pollution danger zone,” according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC). A strong indicator of children’s health, this indicator attempts to identify schools where students are at high risk of near-road pollution exposure. Many studies have shown increased respiratory effects, such as asthma, in children attending school near major roadways. Posted under Environmental Hazards domain, this indicator is also tied to the Educational Opportunities, Transportation Services, Economic Health, and Neighborhood Characteristics domains. The School Proximity to Traffic indicator is an “inverse” measure, meaning the higher the value, the more negative the impact on neighborhood health. Computation of this indicator requires highway, traffic volume, and school location data which is available from the U.S. Census, Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) and the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham.

Neighborhoodsort descending Indicator Value Rank
Acipco-Finley 0.0% 1
Airport Highlands 0.0% 1
Apple Valley 0.0% 1
Arlington - West End 0.0% 1
Belview Heights 0.0% 1
Bridlewood 0.0% 1
Brown Springs 0.0% 1
Brownsville Heights 0.0% 1
Brummitt Heights 0.0% 1
Bush Hills 25.0% 98
Central City 16.7% 97
Central Park 0.0% 1
Central Pratt 0.0% 1
College Hills 0.0% 1
Collegeville 0.0% 1
Crestline 0.0% 1
Crestwood North 0.0% 1
Crestwood South 0.0% 1
Dolomite 0.0% 1
Druid Hills 0.0% 1
East Avondale 0.0% 1
East Birmingham 0.0% 1
East Brownville 0.0% 1
East Lake 0.0% 1
East Thomas 33.3% 99
Eastwood 0.0% 1
Echo Highlands 0.0% 1
Enon Ridge 0.0% 1
Ensley 0.0% 1
Ensley Highlands 0.0% 1
Evergreen 0.0% 1
Fairmont 0.0% 1
Fairview 0.0% 1
Five Points South 0.0% 1
Forest Park 0.0% 1
Fountain Heights 0.0% 1
Garden Highlands 0.0% 1
Gate City 0.0% 1
Germania Park 0.0% 1
Glen Iris 0.0% 1
Grasselli Heights 0.0% 1
Graymont 0.0% 1
Green Acres 0.0% 1
Harriman Park 0.0% 1
Highland Park 0.0% 1
Hillman 0.0% 1
Hillman Park 0.0% 1
Hooper City 0.0% 1
Huffman 0.0% 1
Industrial Center 0.0% 1
Inglenook 0.0% 1
Jones Valley 0.0% 1
Killough Springs 0.0% 1
Kingston 0.0% 1
Liberty Highlands 0.0% 1
Maple Grove 0.0% 1
Mason City 0.0% 1
North Avondale 0.0% 1
North Birmingham 0.0% 1
North East Lake 0.0% 1
North Pratt 0.0% 1
North Titusville 0.0% 1
Norwood 0.0% 1
Oak Ridge 0.0% 1
Oak Ridge Park 0.0% 1
Oakwood Place 0.0% 1
Overton 0.0% 1
Oxmoor 0.0% 1
Penfield Park 0.0% 1
Pine Knoll Vista 0.0% 1
Powderly 0.0% 1
Redmont Park 0.0% 1
Riley 0.0% 1
Rising - West Princeton 0.0% 1
Roebuck 0.0% 1
Roebuck Springs 0.0% 1
Roosevelt 0.0% 1
Sandusky 0.0% 1
Sherman Heights 0.0% 1
Smithfield 0.0% 1
Smithfield Estates 0.0% 1
South East Lake 0.0% 1
South Pratt 0.0% 1
South Titusville 0.0% 1
South Woodlawn 0.0% 1
Southside 0.0% 1
Spring Lake 0.0% 1
Sun Valley 0.0% 1
Tarpley City 0.0% 1
Thomas 0.0% 1
Tuxedo 0.0% 1
Wahouma 0.0% 1
West Brownville 0.0% 1
West End Manor 0.0% 1
West Goldwire 0.0% 1
Woodland Park 0.0% 1
Woodlawn 0.0% 1
Wylam 0.0% 1
Zion City 0.0% 1

Key Citations:
1. CARB (2005) Air Quality and Land Use Handbook: A Community Health Perspective. California Air Resources Board. April 2005. Available at: http://www.arb.ca.gv/ch/handbook.Pdf
2. HEI (2010). Traffic-Related Air Pollution: A Critical Review of the Literature on Emissions, Exposure, and Health Effects. Health Effects Institute, January 2010. Available at: http://pubs.healtheffects.org/getfile.php?u=553
3. Zhou, Y. and Levy, J. (2007). Factors influencing the spatial extent of mobile source air pollution impacts: a meta-analysis. BMC Public Health. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-7-89. Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1890281/
4. http://healthnews.uc.edu/news/?/7358/