One of the growing trends in the move to include more physical activity into our everyday lives is to take advantage of opportunities for active transportation.

Active transportation means choosing human power over motor power as a way to get from place to place. By leaving the car at home more often and opting instead for walking, cycling, handcycling, in-line skating or skateboarding, we can improve our personal health as well as reduce our impact on the environment.

Where exclusively using human power isn’t possible or practical, you can still enjoy the benefits of active transportation by combining human and motor power modes such as cycling and using public transit.

Active commuting to and from work or school is a great way to help build regular physical activity into your everyday routine. Since 41% of Canadians say that most of their personal driving time is spent getting to and from work, active commuting can turn this sedentary time into active time that can help you improve and maintain health!

Here are the key benefits of active transportation:

Health Benefits: Choosing a mode of transportation that involves physical activity is good for your health. Research shows that physical activity helps prevent coronary artery disease, stroke, hypertension, colon cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity. By decreasing our use of motorized modes of transportation, we can help reduce the effects of automobile emissions on health, which include increased susceptibility to respiratory infections in children and seniors.   

Environmental Benefits: Decreased use of motorized vehicles helps cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change; reduces air pollutants (active transportation results in zero emissions); saves valuable green space; and reduces the need for new parking lots and roadways, which means more efficient land use.

Quality of Life Benefits: Active transportation provides calmer and safer streets, reduces noise pollution and congestion, and increases opportunities for social interaction. While it may not be possible or practical to commute actively every day this summer, the goal is to reduce your dependence on motorized modes of transportation during your work or school day, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and even escalators and elevators!

Active Modes of Transportation are Highly Efficient

For distances up to 5km, cycling is recognized as the fastest of all mode from door to door, including walking, driving a car or taking the bus (Ontario Ministry of Transportation Bicycle Policy Review).

For reasonably short trips, walking can also be extremely fast and convenient, because you don’t need any extra time to go to the garage, start the car, find a parking place, and other inconveniences.

Active transportation also saves you money. It costs an average of $8,000 per year to own and operate a motor vehicle, but only $150 annually for a bicycle, and virtually no cost at all for walking!

Active Transportation Can Help Contain Public Health Costs

As a key component of regular physical activity, active transportation can reduce health risks and improve overall health and well being, thereby significantly reducing public health costs while fostering a healthy, productive workforce.

In fact, the public health costs attributable to physical inactivity are one to two times that of smoking! This takes into account that while the individual risk of smoking is greater, the fact that far more Canadians are inactive (35%) compared to those that smoke (26%) makes physical inactivity a greater public health burden ( A Canadian Perspective on Physical Activity and Health).

Active Commuting is a ‘Green’ Choice

Active commuting to and from work or school is particularly good for the environment, as the average car pumps over twice its weight in carbon dioxide into our atmosphere each year. Motor vehicle emissions contribute directly to smog, acid rain and global warming ( The Auto Smart Guide, Natural Resources Canada).

By contrast, cycling and walking are two of the cleanest and most energy-efficient forms of transportation, as they result in a 100% reduction in vehicle emission results for that trip. Active transportation also significantly reduces noise pollution.

Active Commuting Makes Good Business Sense

Active commuting to and from work can boost productivity, increase morale, reduce sick days/absenteeism and contribute to a more harmonious work environment.

Unlike the high cost of typical employee fitness programs, encouraging commuting by bicycling and walking can be a cost-effective means for a company to improve the health of its employees.

Promoting active transportation at work and providing shower/locker rooms and secure bike parking facilities are relatively inexpensive investments that can return high dividends ( National Bicycling and Walking Study, U.S. Department of Transportation).

Tips for Promoting Active Commuting at Work and in the Community

• Establish a workplace active commuting group that can encourage and coordinate information sessions and training courses for interested employees.
  
• Ask your employer to provide adequate locker, shower and storage facilities to make it easier to commute actively to work – ensure there is safe, secure and convenient cycle parking, with adequate lighting and protection from the elements.
  
• Consider approaching your employer for subsidizing training courses such as cycling skills or summer commuting, etc. for employees.
  
• Incorporate active commuting information into employee orientation programs, including information on workplace support policies.
  
• Distribute maps of local bike paths and walking trails to employees and/or students.
  
• Establish a ‘buddy’ system that encourages and allows employees and/or students to travel together safely to and from work or school.
  
• Boost awareness of the benefits of active commuting and increase participation through programs and events such as ‘Walk ‘n Roll to Work Day’, Commuter Challenges, Active & Safe Routes to School programs, special clinics, talks at local schools or lunchtime motivational sessions.

[Sources: Active Transportation Roundtable Report, Go for Green 2003; and Walk & Roll: A Guide to Transportation to, from and at the Workplace by the Canadian Council for Health and Active Living at Work]