Places to be active

Impact of sedentary lifestyle on mortality is equivalent to smoking one pack of cigarettes per day -Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General Physical activity is good for our bodies and our minds. It also helps both children and adults maintain a healthy weight. Not getting enough physical activity increases a person’s risk of chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Being physically active is more than just a matter of personal choice. Studies show that the design of our cities, neighborhoods and roads can make it much more likely that people get the physical activity they need to be healthy.

What you can do WALK and BIKE MORE One quarter of all trips are less than one mile and 40% are less than two miles. These short trips to school, work, shopping or errands can be done on foot or by bike. You’ll get where you need to go and get healthy physical activity at the same time. MEASURE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT Find out what your carbon footprint is and reduce it SUPPORT "GREEN INITIATIVES" Transit, parks, open space, and mixed use development can all help people be more physically active.

	Active transportation Biking and walking should be safe, easy, and pleasant. Sidewalks, lighting, bike trails, street trees and compact development are all elements of the built environment that can increase the chance that people walk and bike instead of drive. A recent study found that every additional hour spent in a car increases our risk of obesity by 6 percent while every kilometer walked is associated with a 4.8 percent reduction. Walking and biking for fun and for transportation are practical ways to increase physical activity and improve public health. 21% of Americans age 65 and older do not drive. Older African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans are even less likely to drive. Limited access to transit, missing sidewalks, unsafe crosswalks and lack of places to walk to that are close to home all contribute to the isolation and sedentary lifestyle of many older adults. These transportation barriers can make it more difficult for older adults to access parks, walking trails and other physical activity programs in King County.
	Public Health staff work with partners through coalitions, workgroups and advisory boards to improve access to active transportation options. For example: Seattle Pedestrian Master Plan Public Health participated in the Seattle Department of Transportation’s efforts to develop the Seattle Pedestrian Master Plan.
	Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee Public Health staff provide leadership to the Puget Sound Regional Council Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee
	Physical activity and parks Parks and open space provide opportunities to relax, play and exercise. Research shows that people with access to parks and playgrounds are more likely to be physically active. Unfortunately, access to parks is not equal across communities. Children and youth living in communities with parks, playgrounds, trails and recreation programs tend to be more physically active than those living in neighborhoods with fewer recreation facilities. Recent research also showed that teens were more active when parks were lighted and had walking paths. Public Health staff work with partners through coalitions, workgroups and advisory boards to improve access to parks and open space. For example: Reflexology Paths, King County Parks. Public Health staff worked with King County Parks to plan and build the country’s first public reflexology walking paths in White Center and at Marymoor Park.

• Walk, Baby, Walk: Is Muscle Power an Overlooked Climate Solution?
  Explores the impact of driving less and walking more on climate change.
  
  
• Livable, lovable parks for all
  The importance of parks to health and quality of life.
  
  
• The Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Healthy, Equitable Transportation Reform in America
  This report presents a collection of policies and programs that can improve health and transportation in underserved communities while simultaneously creating economic opportunities.
  
  
• Aging Americans: Stranded without Options (PDF)The United States is currently ill prepared to provide adequate transportation choices for our rapidly aging population. Alternatives to driving are sparse, particularly in some regions and in rural and small town communities. As the number of older people increases, so too will their mobility needs. How the nation addresses this issue will have significant social and economic ramifications.

• Active Transportation
  Active transportation is a term that is used to describe any physically active trip to work, school, the store or to visit friends. There are many different ways to get to where you are going and get the physical activity you need every day. Walking and biking are the most popular forms of active transportation but many people do both.
  
  
• Bus Chick, Transit Authority
  Carla Saulter is one of a growing number of Seattleites who have chosen to live without a car. Because Seattle still does not have in-city rapid transit, she takes the bus everywhere -- really, everywhere -- she goes. On any given Saturday night, you can find her running for the number 27 in heels and a backless dress.
  
  
• City of Seattle Walk Bike Ride
  Will create an equitable transportation system for all by providing more affordable travel choices; Focus on the places where people want to be and add qualities that make them want to stay; Prioritize right-of-way space to emphasize walking, biking and riding.
  
  
• OneBusAway
  Real-time arrival information for a number of transit agencies; Arrival info for every bus stop; Easy access to information across a variety of devices.
  
  
• Seattle Bicycle Master Plan
  During the past two years, Seattle Dept. of Transportation has extended the network of bicycle routes, lanes and trails, and improved bicycle safety.
  
  
• Seattle Pedestrian Master Plan
  New research illustrates the health benefits of regular walking, biking, or taking public transportation to work, school, or shopping. So why not save yourself a few dollars on gas and improve your health at the same time?
  
  
• City of Kirkland Active Transportation Plan
  When the City of Kirkland’s first Non-motorized Transportation Plan was adopted in 1995, such plans were relatively rare. That has changed; now, almost every city has a plan for walking and cycling. This change from a novelty to a necessity is reflected in the title of this Plan.
  
  
• Bicycle Resources in King County
  The new Bicycling Guidemap features trails, bike lanes, signed shared roadways, roadways commonly used by bicyclists, area bike shops, farmers markets and more.

• Smoke-Free Parks
  Communities around the nation have implemented a variety of policies in order to provide clean air for everyone in their public parks. While some communities have passed laws that make entire parks smoke-free, others have 25 foot "safe zones" around playgrounds and toddler sandboxes, so that kids can play without being directly exposed to secondhand smoke.
  
  
• Complete Streets
  A balanced transportation system that includes complete streets can bolster economic growth and stability by providing accessible and efficient connections between residences, schools, parks, public transportation, offices, and retail destinations. Complete streets can reduce transportation costs and travel time while increasing property values and job growth.
  
  
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  Find a number of tools and resources to calculate greenhouse gas emissions, strategies at home and work, strategies for transportation, and information on the science of climate change.
  
  
• Trust for Public Land's Park Equity and Public Health Toolkit
  Provides training materials to help increase awareness of the link between accessible parks and physical activity; introduce the concept of local public finance for parks; and demonstrate the park equity mapping model.
  
  
• CDC, Physical Activity. Guide to the Community Preventive Services
  Individual studies give us information about specific programs and policies. But looking at the larger body of research provides a much better understanding of whether or not a type of intervention has been shown to be effective.
  
  
• No Child Left Inside
  The No Child Left Inside movement enjoys widespread support from many sectors. Business, faith, environmental, health, recreation, and many other organizations have come together to work towards the goal of achieving environmental literacy for all students.