Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Health is important to Canadians. Most Canadians do not meet physical activity guidelines. Improving physical activity can improve mental and physical health. Increasing physical activity by a small amount per day has the biggest health impact. Our research focuses on how protected bike lanes effect physical activity. Protected bike lanes are separated from traffic by a curb. The goal is for everybody to feel safe riding their bike and being active. Our research is interested in how protected bike lanes influence active transportation levels. Active transportation occurs when you walk or bike from place to place. We believe that people who travel on protected bike lanes more often will have higher levels of physical activity. To answer our research question, participants completed an online survey and wore a device to measure their location and physical activity for 10 days. We are studying the Pandora protected bike lane in the All Ages and Abilities Cycling Network in Victoria, British Columbia. Half of the participants were female and their average age was 45 years old. The results show that 87% of participants think the AAA is a very good idea. 79% of participants will cycle more once it is complete. 68% of participants would feel very comfortable on protected bike lanes. Only 17% would feel comfortable on a busy street without a protected bike lane. Initial results show that the AAA Network may encourage cycling in Victoria. The presentation will include results from the GPS and physical activity data. This research is important for all Canadians because bike lanes make it easier for people to be active. The results from this study have the potential to influence other bike lane projects across the country.