3177.0: Monday, October 22, 2001 - 5:20 PM

Abstract #31157

Using secondary data as an indicator of local commitment to walking and bicycling

Philip Bors, MPH, Cardiovascular Health Unit, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, 1915 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1915, 919-715-2131, phil.bors@ncmail.net and Kelly Evenson, PhD, Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Bank of America Plaza, Suite 306, 137 East Franklin St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514.

In collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT), the North Carolina Cardiovascular Health (CVH) Program analyzed data on municipal spending for enhancements to pedestrian and bicycle facilities. The state's trust fund for municipal street maintenance, "Street Aid to Municipalities," provides discretionary funding to local governments for street maintenance. Previously, the NC DOT monitored street maintenance expenditures primarily for accountability purposes. CVH Program staff conducted additional analyses of Street Aid expenditures for pedestrian and bicycle facilities, e.g. sidewalks and bike lanes, to gauge local commitment to walking and bicycling. Given the relatively small resources required to analyze Street Aid data, we recommend utilizing transportation data for community level surveillance and evaluation of efforts to increase local commitment to walking and bicycling.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will understand how secondary transportation data were obtained and analyzed, and how they could potentially be applied in their state as a community level indicator of local commitment to walking and bicycling.

Keywords: Evaluation, Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 129th Annual Meeting of APHA