The Context #
Governments are currently considering making major investments in transit, cycling and walking infrastructure, in order to alleviate the pressures of congestion, emissions, and population growth. The City of Victoria (BC, Canada) with support from the Provincial government, committed $11+ million to build an AAA active transportation network (AAA meaning “All Ages and Abilities”) of safe connected bicycle routes across the entire city to support and encourage more people who live, work, play and visit Victoria to ride bikes. More information on current construction and future plans for the network buildout can be found on the City of Victoria website.
Research Overview #
This project presents a real-world opportunity to study changes in population health, transportation patterns and spatial equity over time when a local government makes a large investment in bicycle infrastructure. Rather than looking at larger urban centers where such investment and research has typically focused in the past, this study will uniquely focus on mid-sized cities—takinga detailed look at Victoria and two comparable mid-sized cities in Canada (Kelowna and Halifax).
