Reasoning & Evidence
Active transportation options have a plethora of benefits ranging from increasing transportation access, engaging in physical activity, and creating a higher sense of engagement with one’s community. Additionally, transit forms such as walking and biking promote more sustainable travel that can meet user’s needs while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that accompany motor vehicles.(24) Numerous studies call out the benefits of using active transportation such as greater neighborhood trust, higher levels of community participation, and increased opportunities for social interactions with neighbors.(22, 24, 25, 26) Supporting active transportation measures is an option for expanding social inclusion in communities where other public transportation options are not available.
There are a wide variety of innovations that promote active transportation use. Safety of pedestrians and cyclists is a main concern during urban planning, and it can be enhanced through the use of colored bike lanes with distinct lane markings reducing vehicle speed limits, and narrowing vehicle lanes. Implementing road diets, which involve reducing the number of lanes reserved for cars to create a full size, flex lane for bikes has been successful in Boston, San Francisco, and Portland.(27) Bike share programs are increasing in popularity with over 800 cities offering them globally. These programs expand access to biking and promote active transportation in cities, with around 60% of bike share trips replacing sedentary modes of travel.(49) Performing walk audits along common pedestrian routes and crosswalks can help planners ensure routes are safe for users of all ages and abilities. Along pedestrian routes, benches and resting landscapes can create space for social interactions.(28)
Examples of Community Implementation
Columbus, Ohio: The city of Columbus developed the Healthy Places program that works to create a built environment that encourages walkability and bikeability. The program works with individual neighborhoods and school districts to create Safe Routes to School travel plans, land use zoning reforms, parking lot reforms, and biking and walking events among other interventions. The program spurred the creation of the Hanover Active Transportation Plan in nearby Licking County, Ohio, which proposes 21 miles of new sidewalks, 12 miles of new on-street bike lanes, and 44 miles of new walking paths. Discover more projects through the Healthy Places program here and learn more about neighborhood specific active transportation plans here.
Quito, Ecuador: Quito has committed to making city streets biking friendly through large-scale, cycling infrastructure projects that have increased the annual number of bicycle trips by 600%. Elements of success in Quito’s active transportation revitalization plan include nine kilometers of new cycling lanes, and creating safe routes along some of the city’s major, busy streets and highways. By promoting biking as a primary mode of transit, the city has seen reduced reliance on motorized vehicles as well as reduced vehicular-related emissions levels.
Reference: The SOCIAL Framework: The Transportation Supplemental Brief
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