Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Engineering

Study: Good Bike and Ped Infrastructure Actually Makes Neighbors Healthier

Living near safe, high-quality biking and walking facilities actually improves people's health, according to a new study that found a direct link between urban active transportation infrastructure and increased exercise.

The study, published in the journal of Preventative Medicine, examined a random group in Vancouver, British Columbia, before and after the construction of the Comox-Helmcken Greenway, a 1.2-mile protected biking and walking facility.

The study found that people who lived with .2 miles — a few blocks — of the new greenway were twice as likely to get the recommended 20 minutes of physical activity daily. The effect declined as the distance from the greenway increased.

"The message is pretty clear," said Andy Hong, a health scientist at the University of Oxford and co-author of the study. "Well-designed and well-thought-out greenways, like the Comox-Helmcken Greenway, can promote health by encouraging people to be more active and spend less time sitting."

He noted that the Comox-Helmcken Greenway includes many features of high-quality on-street biking and walking infrastructure, including green paint, landscaping and traffic calming measures.

Map: Vancouver
Map: Vancouver
false

The project was completed in 2013 for about $5 million, according to the Vancouver Sun. It is part of a larger greenway system for the city.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

StreetSmart Special Edition – LA Evictions at Caltrans Owned Properties for Formerly Homeless “Reclaimers”

Benito Flores, one of the Reclaimers, is resisting eviction to draw attention to inequities with how housing laws are being applied to people experiencing homelessness

July 15, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines

I bet we can come up with some reasons Sacramento isn't getting higher scores on its bike ratings.

July 15, 2025

Commentary: The French City of Lyon Shows How to Connect Oakland and Western Alameda

An amazing 24/7 bike-ped-transit connection can be made for pennies on the dollar—if the Bay Area can get past its car-brain affliction.

July 15, 2025

Monday’s Headlines

R's clearly think gas prices are the way to hold on to the house.

July 14, 2025

These U.S. Communities’ So-Called ‘Complete Streets’ Policies Don’t Even Deserve the Name

Any city can call itself a "Complete Streets" champion. But not all of them are walking the walk — and if they don't, a top organization says they'll no longer give them a platform on its esteemed "best of" ranking.

July 13, 2025
See all posts