Header logo
  • About
  • News
  • Data
  • Get Involved
  • Social Icons
  • Social Icons
  • Social Icons
« back to all media
Media - March 14, 2023

Partner Spotlight: Q & A with Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee

Jessica Dauphin, the President & CEO of the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee shares how they’re raising awareness and support for funding regional multimodal transit.

Q: What is your organization’s mission?

Dauphin: The mission of the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee is to build awareness and support for funding regional multimodal transit.

Q: How are you and your organization working to improve the health and/or wellbeing of Nashvillians (or Middle-Tennessee)?

Dauphin: The Transit Alliance’s efforts to raise awareness and support for funding transit begin with education about the impact of mobility on our lives. One of those big impacts is on our health, both individually and collectively. Those with access to active transportation options like walking, biking, and public transit have healthier, happier lives. Studies have tied long personal car commutes sitting in traffic to shorter life span, higher BMI, higher obesity rates, higher divorce rates, and lower life satisfaction. So, our work aims to help provide all who live in the greater Nashville area with more active mobility modes to help gain higher life satisfaction and healthier lifestyles overall. We continue to make this a centerpiece of our work so that residents, business leaders, and decision-makers can better understand transportation and mobility’s role in our lives.

Q: If you could wave a magic wand and solve one public health issue right now, what would it be?

Dauphin: Just one? This is tough. Access to quality healthcare and continuity of care via transportation is a public health issue. Again, studies connect access to quality transportation to healthier pregnancies and birth rates, higher quality of life as we age, and more. The public health issue I would solve is the consistent underestimating of the power of mobility to support healthy living or prevent it. Because once we understand the connection and power of mobility and access, it becomes easy to support those investments. Then, we all get a more equitable opportunity to live healthier, longer lives.

Q: What are you most optimistic about right now when it comes to your organization and improving health?

Dauphin: Right now, our efforts positively impact the collective understanding of the need to invest in public transit and safer walkable communities. As we continue to build relationships with communities and business leaders, the idea is that investing in public transit is a direct investment in our ability to attain higher quality of life standards, including health, prosperity, and equity across the greater Nashville area.

Q: How can people get involved/help your cause?

Dauphin: We are currently engaged in a city-wide listening tour called Transit Together. We encourage everyone to attend at least one of these meetings. We are also looking for partners to host one of these sessions, so if you are part of a group or organization, feel free to contact me directly for more information on how you can do that. For those looking to become further invested in this effort to get dedicated funding for transit, I’d suggest registering for our upcoming Transit Citizen Leadership Academy. This eight-week course helps participants understand the issue and gives them the tools and resources to be thought leaders. Lastly, it takes resources to drive this work. We are incredibly grateful for our contributors and are ready to welcome more!  Donate to see a positive change in access to active transportation in Middle Tennessee.

Learn more at http://thetransitalliance.org/.

Share:

RECENT POSTS

Partner Spotlight: Q & A with Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee

February Newsletter: Let’s Put Health Equity at the Forefront

Partner Spotlight: Q & A with American Heart Association Nashville

Health challenges facing Black Nashvillians requires a push for equity | Opinion

Partner Spotlight: Q & A with The Belmont Data Collaborative

ARCHIVES

March 2023

February 2023

January 2023

December 2022

October 2022

August 2022

July 2022

May 2022

April 2022

February 2022

November 2021

June 2021

April 2021

February 2021

January 2021

December 2020

September 2020

July 2020

June 2020

May 2020

April 2020

March 2020

February 2020

January 2020

December 2019

October 2019

September 2019

August 2019

July 2019

June 2019

May 2019

April 2019

March 2019

February 2019

January 2019

December 2018

November 2018

October 2018

September 2018

August 2018

July 2018

June 2018

May 2018

April 2018

March 2018

February 2018

December 2017

November 2017

October 2017

September 2017

August 2017

July 2017

June 2017

May 2017

April 2017

March 2017

February 2017

January 2017

December 2016

November 2016

October 2016

September 2016

August 2016

July 2016

June 2016

May 2016

April 2016

March 2016

February 2016

January 2016

December 2015

November 2015

October 2015

December 2014

November 2014

Sign up below to receive our newsletter:

Overview

NashvilleHealth creates a culture of health and wellbeing by serving as a convener to open dialogue, align resources and build smart strategic partnerships to create a bold plan for health and wellbeing in Nashville.

Check out our latest newsletter

Latest News

Partner Spotlight: Q & A with Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee

Mar 14, 2023

February Newsletter: Let’s Put Health Equity at the Forefront

Feb 16, 2023

Partner Spotlight: Q & A with American Heart Association Nashville

Feb 15, 2023

Connect

Contact

40 Burton Hills Blvd., Suite 370

Nashville, TN 37215

probinette@nashvillehealth.org

© Copyright 2019 NashvilleHealth