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

Wednesday’s Headlines

Updates on stories we covered over the past week on quick build, speed cameras, VTA strike and more...

March 26, 2025

Survey: Americans Still Want Police To Cut Traffic Stops That Don’t Make Anyone Safer

Americans never lost their appetite for police reform in the traffic safety realm – and their leaders are starting to listen, a new study suggests.

March 25, 2025

Volunteers Repaint and Repair Mural as Progress Continues on Converting Great Highway

Advocate/volunteers erase graffiti as the project to remake San Francisco's oceanfront moves steadily forward.

March 25, 2025

Is the City’s Approach to Measure HLA Resulting in Worse Pavement Conditions on Some Streets?

The city says "Measure HLA has not affected overall citywide [pavement condition]" but some streets - ones the city put repaving on hold for HLA - seem to have a lot of potholes.

March 25, 2025
See all posts