Anne Lusk, Ph.D.Harvard School of Public Health

March 1, 2011

Research on Bicycle Facilities and Populations Who Bicycle – Research results – Nurses’ Health

Study and Bicycling, Cycle Tracks in North America, Greenways and Destinations

What might increase bicycling in all populations?

a) What environment would encourage people to recreate, lowering obesity, diabetes, and stroke?

b) What environment would restore directed attention?

c) What environment would build social capital?

d) What environment might motivate more people to engage in physical activity? 

#1 Research Project: Study of 6 Greenways and Comparison of 20 Greenways

Literature revealed these insights:

“…people find it easier to take a walk if they have ‘destination.’” (Alexander, et al., A Pattern Language. 1977, p. 172)

“…people will take much longer walks if they can see the building they are headed to. (William Whyte, The Last Landscape. 1968, p. 325)

“…connect the goals to one another to form paths.” (Alexander, et al., A Pattern Language. 1977, p. 587-588)

“…the final way of organizing a path or set of paths…It might be called ‘melodic’ in analogy to music….The form might be the classical introduction-development-climax.” (Kevin Lynch, The Image of the City. 1975, p. 99)

“Nine fundamental components exist within ‘flow’…3) Clear goals.” (Jackson and Csikzentmihalyi, Flow in Sports: The key to optimal experiences and performances. 1999, p. 16)

What are the physical qualities or combination of qualities that promote a sense of arrival/reward on a greenway and…

1) How far apart are these arrival destinations?

2) What are their characteristics or features, activities, and meanings?

3) What are the human needs met by these features?

4) Do highly frequented greenways have more destinations which are closer together?

1. Theory of Destinations

2. Pathway Destination Survey (PDS)

3. Twenty-Three Guidelines for Greenways

4. Recommendations for the construction or enhancement of greenways.

Four Major Outcomes of the Research

Six Greenways

1) Vail, Colorado I-70 Trail (rural) 2) Stowe Recreation Path, Stowe, Vermont (rural)

3) South Platte River Greenway, Denver, Colorado (urban)4) Lakefront Trail, Chicago, Illinois (urban)

5) Minuteman Trail near Boston, Massachusetts (rail-trail)6) West Orange Trail near Orlando, Florida (rail-trail)

Six Greenways

Sent “sticker” surveys in advance to key individuals in the communities for distribution. Asked individuals on the greenways to complete the in situ surveys. There was no involvement of children.

Twenty Greenways

Highly Frequented

1) Stowe Recreation Path, Stowe, Vermont – rural2) Minuteman Trail near Boston, Massachusetts – urban and rail trail3) West Orange Trail – Winter Garden, Florida – rail trail 4) Chicago Lakefront Trail – Chicago, Illinois – urban and minority5) Denver South Platte River Greenway – Denver, Colorado – urban 6) Norwottuck Trail –Northampton, Massachusetts – rural and rail trail7) American Tobacco Trail – Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina – minority 8) East Bay Trail – Newport, Rhode Island - rail trail 9) Arabia Mountain Trail – Atlanta, Georgia – minority (60-80% African

American) 10) Hudson River Greenway – New York City, New York – minority near

96th Street

Twenty Greenways

Not Highly Frequented

1) Southwest Corridor – Boston, Massachusetts – minority2) Alum – Creek I-670– Columbus, Ohio – minority3) Gwynn Falls – Baltimore, Maryland – minority4) Van Fleet Trail, near Lakeland, Florida – rail trail and rural 5) Grissolm Parkway Trail – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – urban6) Martha Curtis Trail – Alexandria, Virginia – urban7) Fox River Trail – Aurora, Illinois – rail trail and minority 8) Ernst Bike Trail – Meadville, Pennsylvania – rail trail and rural9) Longleaf Trace – Hattiesburg, Mississippi – rail trail, rural, and minority 10) Mohawk Hudson Trail – Albany, New York – rail trail

Twenty Greenways

Asked individuals on the greenways to complete the sticker surveys and the in situ surveys. Children were included. Cold bottled water was given as a gift.

Minuteman Habitual User Map

• O

Minuteman Habitual User Map

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Minuteman Trace Overlay Map

•

Chicago Trace Overlay Map

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Chicago Habitual User Map

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Chicago Habitual User Map

Mean Distance Between Destinations

• 3.93 miles apart mean distance overall

• 2/3 - 2 miles apart for 2 to 6 mile greenways

• 4 - 9 miles apart for bicyclists on 6 to 31 mile greenways

Mean Number of Features, Activities, and Meanings at the

Destinations

• 46 Features

• 8.1 Activities

• 14.5 Meanings

Mean Number of Destinations

• 3.17 mean number of destinations per greenway

• 3.5 mean number of destinations per greenway

• 2.96 mean number of destinations per 2

to 6 mile greenway

Channel Capacity (5+2) * * * * * * *Beethoven’s 1st Symphony (4) * * * *Marriage of Figaro (3) * * * Mahler’s Symphony #1 (4) * * * *Romance (5) * * * * *Western (3) * * *Tragedy (4) * * * *Poetry (4) * * * *Hamlet (3) * * * Japanese Flower Arranging(3) * * *Feng Shui (5) * * * * *6 Greenway Case Studies (3) * * *2 Greenway Pilot Studies (3) * * *

Theory of Destinations

Destinations have unique characteristics

Destinations have a name

Destinations are “Social-Stop”

Destinations are “Positive-Identity Pass-By”

Destinations can be merged with adjacent resources

Destinations have no or few negative features

Destinations can be “Prowess-Plazas”

Destinations incorporate “Social Bridges”

Destinations’ “Social Bridges” facilitate positive conversations

Design, Setting, and Participants:

This was a 16-year follow-up of 18, 414 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II cohort. Participants (24-42 years in 1989) were premenopausal, and free of major chronic diseases through 2005. Participants reported their physical activity, time sitting at home, and weight in 1989 and 2005.

#2 Research Project: Nurses’ Health Study II – Bicycle Riding, Walking, and Weight Gain in Premenopausal Women

Design, Setting, and Participants:

This was a 16-year follow-up of 18, 414 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II cohort. Participants (24-42 years in 1989) were premenopausal, and free of major chronic diseases through 2005. Participants reported their physical activity, time sitting at home, and weight in 1989 and 2005.

Results:

Results:

-2

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

Slow Walking Brisk Walking Other Activities Bicycling

Physical Activities

Kilo

gram

s In

dica

ting

Wei

ght

Con

trol

Results:

-2.5

-2

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0 min/d (Ref) ≤5 >5-15 >15

1A. Increased bicycling (min/d)

Wei

gh

t ch

ang

e (1

989-

2005

) (k

g)

(a)

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

>15 min/d (Ref) >5-15 ≤5 0

1B. Decreased bicycling (min/d)

Wei

gh

t ch

ang

e (1

989-

2005

) (k

g)

(a)

Figure 1A includes only women who did not initially bicycle (0 min/d) at baseline (1989), (n=9,556). The figure reflects the slope of weight change if women remained in the non-bicycling category in 2005 (reference), or if they increased their bicycling in 2005.Figure 1B includes only women who initially bicycled for >15 min/d at baseline (1989), (n=1,506). The figure reflects the slope of weight change if women remained in the high bicycling activity category in 2005 (reference), or if they decreased their bicycling in 2005. The T bars in both figures 1A and 1B represent the standard error for weight change (kg).