"Active transportation advocates constantly get accused of waging a "war on cars." But when you look around our communities, it sure looks more like we're in the middle of a war on walking and biking - and the wrong side is winning. In today's episode of The Brake, we sat down with Dr. Tepi McLaughlin, who co-authored of a provocative new paper that argues it's time to name the "enemies of physical activity" and dismantle the policies they push, rather than just focusing on the additive benefits of building more sidewalks and bike lanes."
"I've been in and amongst this physical activity world - walking and cycling - but also the sport and exercise side of things as well for my whole career. And I've become increasingly [convinced that] the way we increase population physical activity is to make it as convenient as possible, so it's embedded in our natural daily lives. This paper came about [because of] a really interesting story, actually. I was in [co-author] Grant [Ennis's] neck of the woods in Paris for the International Society for Physical Activity and Health Congress last year; over 1000 delegates attend that conference."
Communities increasingly prioritize automobiles, creating environments that make walking and biking dangerous and uncommon. Corporate interests and policy choices function as tangible barriers to population physical activity by shaping infrastructure, regulations, and resource allocation. Rather than merely adding sidewalks and bike lanes, targeted efforts should identify and dismantle the specific policies and vested interests that oppose active travel. Embedding walking and cycling into everyday life requires making non-automotive options convenient, safe, and routine. Public forums and professional gatherings reveal reluctance to name opposing interests, highlighting the need for explicit accountability and policy change to reverse current trends.
Read at Streetsblog
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