Active transportation, such as walking, cycling, and using public transit, can have multiple benefits for health, environment, and economy. But how do you advance active transportation knowledge and practice in your community or organization? Here are some tips and resources to help you.
Before you can plan and implement any active transportation initiatives, you need to understand the existing conditions and challenges in your area. You can use various tools and methods to collect and analyze data on the travel behavior, preferences, and needs of your target population, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, mapping, and observation. You can also review the existing policies, plans, and programs that support or hinder active transportation, and identify the gaps and opportunities for improvement.
This is critical not to overlook, serving as the foundation for all decisions, a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is widely used. Strengths and weaknesses, under your control, are easier to define. Opportunities and threats, external and environmental, lie beyond control. A completed SWOT analysis reveals gaps and informs strategies. It helps identify unanswered threats, underexploited opportunities, and how these four elements intersect.
You don't have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to active transportation. You can learn from the experiences and successes of other communities and organizations that have implemented active transportation strategies and projects. You can find examples and case studies of best practices in various online platforms and publications, such as the Active Transportation Resource Center, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, and the National Association of City Transportation Officials. You can also network and collaborate with other professionals and practitioners in the field through events, webinars, and online forums.
Active transportation is not a solo effort. You need to involve and consult with various stakeholders and partners who have an interest or influence in active transportation, such as residents, businesses, schools, health agencies, advocacy groups, and decision-makers. You can use different engagement techniques and tools, such as workshops, surveys, social media, and interactive maps, to solicit input, feedback, and support from your stakeholders and partners. You can also form coalitions and alliances to leverage resources, expertise, and influence.
Once you have gathered and analyzed the relevant information, learned from best practices, and engaged stakeholders and partners, you can develop and communicate a clear and compelling vision and plan for active transportation in your community or organization. You can use various frameworks and models to guide your planning process, such as the Active Transportation Planning Guide, the Active Transportation Logic Model, and the Active Transportation Scorecard. You can also use various communication tools and channels, such as reports, presentations, websites, and newsletters, to share your vision and plan with your audience.
The final step is to implement and evaluate the actions that you have planned for active transportation. You can use various approaches and methods to execute and monitor your actions, such as pilot projects, demonstration projects, tactical urbanism, and performance measures. You can also use various tools and techniques to evaluate and report on the outcomes and impacts of your actions, such as surveys, counts, indicators, and dashboards. You can also use the evaluation results to inform and improve your future actions.