| Benefits of Rail-Trails: |
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| An Active Solution: Trails and Active Transportation A number of factors are contributing to the American obesity crisis, including diet, longer workdays, and the allure of television, computers and video games. -------------------------------------- One of the main challenges we face, however, is one simple truth: we have designed our communities around the automobile, and we have grown dependent on cars for our daily lives. Even for short trips under one mile, cars are used for seventy-five percent of these trips (Blomberg et al. 2004). --------------------------------------- There is a tremendous opportunity, however, for Americans to take more trips by foot or bicycle, and get the daily exercise they need to remain healthy and active. With nearly twenty-eight percent of all trips under one mile and nearly half under three miles, walking and biking trips could easily be used as a healthy alternative for a significant portion of daily trips (FHWA 2006). -------------------------------------- In order to promote this “active transportation,” having a connected network of accessible trails, sidewalks, on-road bike facilities and public transportation is critical. ------------------------------------- Every year, nearly 400,000 people die from conditions associated with overweight and inactive lifestyles. This number will soon eclipse tobacco as the No. 1 preventable cause of death (Dolesh 2004). ------------------------------------- According to the trends for overweight and obese Americans, the current generation of youth is the first that’s predicted not to outlive their parents (National Institute on Aging 2005). ------------------------------------- According to one CDC-funded study, trails can be beneficial in promoting physical activity among those groups traditionally at highest risk for inactivity, especially women and individuals in lower socioeconomic groups (Brownson et al. 2000). -------------------------------------- The physical environment has a substantial impact on the activity level of communities. A recent survey found that 43 percent of people with safe places to walk within 10 minutes of their home meet recommended activity levels, while just 27 percent of those without safe places to walk are active enough. (Active Living Network. 2007). Works Cited Active Living Network. 2007. |
| Trails in particular encourage active transportation in a number of ways: Trails create active transportation and recreation opportunities by providing people of all ages with attractive, safe, accessible places to bike, walk, hike, jog, skate or ski. In doing so, they make it easier for people to engage in physical activity. ----------------------------------- Trails connect people with places, enabling them to walk or cycle to run errands or commute to work. ------------------------------------ Trails provide natural, scenic areas that cause people to actually want to be outside and be physically active. ------------------------------------- Trails connect neighborhoods and schools so children can cycle or walk to their friend’s homes or to school, especially in communities that lack sidewalks. In Denver, the Weir Gulch Trail provides a safe neighborhood route for elementary-aged children, the trail’s primary users. --------------------------------------- In this age of expensive indoor gyms and health clubs, trails and greenways offer cost-effective places to exercise. Like gyms and health clubs, they also serve as a place where people can see and interact with other people exercising. Researchers have found that a lack of this type of social support is often a barrier to participation in exercise. ------------------------------------- The link between healthy people and accessibility to healthy places like trails is strong. If more Americans embrace walking and biking as everyday options, we can create a healthier nation. One step at a time, trails and active transportation are a large part of the solution. -------------------------------------- A number of studies have found that those living within a closer physical proximity of trails have an increased likelihood of being active (Saelens et al. 2003, Lindsey et al. 2006, Owen 2004). ------------------------------------ In communities that are considered highly walkable, individuals walk an average of 15 to 30 minutes more every week than those who live in neighborhoods in which there are fewer options to use non-motorized transportation (Saelens et al. 2003). ------------------------------------- In a study published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, people who reported using trails at least once a week were twice as likely to meet physical activity recommendations than people who reported rarely or never using trails (Librett et al. 2006). |
