Resource Library

Key takeaway:

•  In this study, increases in perceived safety were associated with increased recreational walking, but not walking for transportation.

Key takeaway:

• The long-term health benefits of physical activity through active travel generally outweigh the health risks of air pollution.

The Safe Routes to Parks Action Framework provides local governments with evidence- and practice-based guidance on creating safe and equitable access to parks for all people. 

Key takeaway:

• In this study, urban location and decreased distance to school were related to adopting or maintaining active transportation to school.

Key takeaway:

• This study documents the implementation of Active & Safe Routes to School (ASRTS) in an indigenous community in Canada.

Key takeaway:

• A small percentage of students walk or bike to school, and several low- and no-cost strategies associated with higher participation in active transportation to school are not commonly used. Student demographics, school age, and geographic location are also associated with walking and biking participation.

Key takeaway:

• Virtual assessment of intersection characteristics could be a cost-effective and less time-consuming alternative to in-person visits to evaluate pedestrian safety.

Key takeaway:

• Mobile virtual reality training sessions in schools and community centers could be a tool for influencing children’s pedestrian behaviors, but more research is needed on effective training amounts.

Key takeaway:

• Complete Streets approaches create a safe transportation network for all travel modes and for people of all ages and abilities. This report provides national trends in Complete Streets policies and highlights exemplary policies implemented in 2015.

Key takeaway:

• This study found significant relationships between neighborhood environmental factors and physical activity among girls ages 10-14 across ethnic groups.

This webinar introduces the concept of Safe Routes to Healthy Food, that is, the work of overcoming the transportation barriers to accessing nutritious foods. 

Key takeaway:

• Protected intersections are an important complement to Complete Streets to extend safe, comfortable conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians into intersections.

Key takeaway:

• This study found that in rural areas, schools are the most common settings for policy and environmental interventions for physical activity.

This toolkit is designed to help parents, educators, and community members plan and organize a walking school bus using adult volunteers as leaders. 

Key takeaway:

• Almost half of children live in communities with policies for land use development incentives to promote active living, but there are disparities in these policies by rural/urban locale.

Key takeaway:

• Children were more likely to live in communities with shared use addressed in long-range plans than in communities with formal shared-use agreements, and there were disparities by income and rural/urban locale for presence of either informal or formal shared use agreements. 

Key takeaway:                         

• Collaborative, comprehensive efforts with multi-sector stakeholders are needed to work toward equitable built environments.

Key takeaway:

• The presence of different codified policies for infrastructure and community design that support active living varies, but overall these policies are less common in low-income communities and rural communities. 

Key takeaway:

• Performance measures directed toward bicycle and pedestrian travel modes are key for evaluating and advocating for active transportation infrastructure and programs.

This report is a biennial update on national trends related to walking and biking across the United States, active transportation participation, safety, infrastructure, policy, and funding support. This report is intended to promote access to data, measure progress, support policy and advocacy efforts, and connect to health initiatives.