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Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health (CARTEEH)

A USDOT University Transportation Center

Increased Physical Activity

Higher rates of physical activity is shown to have several health benefits, including lowered rates of heart diseases, blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, depression, and many types of cancer.1 To build a physically active nation, the U.S. Surgeon General in 1996 recommended 30 minutes per day of moderate-intensity physical activities,2 which fewer than 5% of the US adults could achieve.3 However, research has shown that activities like walking, bicycling, or daily trekking to pubic transportation stations, bus stops, or train stations counts towards reaching the daily physical activity recommendation.4 Therefore, estimating the number of increased physical activities shows the extent to which strategies to improve transportation is adopted.

This indicator helps determine the effectiveness of the following objectives

  • Less Contamination
  • Less Emissions
  • Less Traffic Noise
  • Connectivity and Inclusion
  • Healthy Destinations
  • Less Traffic Violence
  • Active Transportation
  • Green Space

Data Collection

Data collection can be done through survey conducted via phone calls to obtain information on daily trips made. Data on annual number of trips by transportation mode are downloaded and sorted using the NHTS tool and categorized by state, location, household, reported transportation mode by individual respondent, and the estimated trip time.5 However, there are limitations of small sample sizes and the possibility of bias.6

Examples

Houston Travel-Related Activity in Neighborhoods (TRAIN)

The study of the Houston Travel-Related Activity in Neighborhoods (TRAIN) assessed the relationship between transit-use and self-reported physical activities. It was concluded that improved self-reported physical activities was associated with increased transit-use. This shows that increased physical activities can be used as a metric to measure transit-use strategies.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2017.12.012

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General; 1996. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/sgr/pdf/sgraag.pdf
2. Schmidt, W.D., Biwer, C.J., Kalscheuer, L.K. Effects of Long Versus Short Bout Exercise on Fitness and Weight Loss in Overweight Females. Journal of the American College of Nutrition; 2001; 20:494-501. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11601564
3. Troiano, R.P., Berrigan, D., Dodd, K.W., Masse, L.C., Tilert, T., McDowell, M. Physical activity in the United States measured by accelerometer. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise; 2008; 40:181-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18091006
4. Freeland, A.L., Banerjee, S.N., Dannenberg, A.L., Wendel, A.M. Walking Associated with Public Transit: Moving Toward Increased Physical Activity in the United States. American Journal of Public Health; 2013; 103:536-42. http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2012.300912
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Promoting Physical Activity – 2nd Edition: A Guide for Community Action; 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/strategies/communityguide.html
6. U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Summary of Travel Trends: 2009 National Household Travel Survey; 2011. http://nhts.ornl.gov/2009/pub/stt.pdf