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Active Transportation: Toward a Canadian National Strategy. Bjorn Nielsen Chair Go for Green Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2004. Go for Green …. … promotes outdoor physical activity that protects, enhances, or restores the environment.
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Active Transportation:Toward a CanadianNational Strategy Bjorn Nielsen Chair Go for Green Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2004 www.goforgreen.ca
Go for Green… … promotes outdoor physical activity that protects, enhances, or restores the environment. … works with organizations, businesses, governments at all levels, and community groups. Environmental Citizenship Active Living
Go for Green programs • Active Transportation • Commuter Challenge • Active & Safe Routes to School • Ice Dreams • Trails Canada • Gardening for Life • Winter Green • Green Prescription
What is Active Transportation (AT)? • Walking, cycling & wheel chairing; • In-line skating & skateboarding; • Canoeing, kayaking & rowing; • Skating, skiing & snow shoeing. The use modes of transportation that require human power, such as: www.goforgreen.ca
A few AT highlights … 1992: Coined the phrase “Active Transportation” 1994: Spearheaded successful efforts to influence the first infrastructure program to include walking and cycling projects 1997: Coordinators of the Active and Safe Routes to School program 1998: Conducted the National Survey on Active Transportation www.goforgreen.ca
A few AT highlights… (cont.) 2002-05: Selected to coordinate national Commuter Challenge 2002-03: Presented to the Standing Committee on Finance regarding AT 2003: Hosted National Roundtable on Active Transportation 2004: Produced “A Business Case for Active Transportation” 2004: Updating the National Survey on Active Transportation www.goforgreen.ca
Business Case for Active Transportation • Created as a follow-up to the National Roundtable on Active Transportation hosted by Go for Green • Outlines the economic benefits of walking and cycling www.goforgreen.ca
Blueprint for Active Transportation Offers recommendations on advancing the active transportation agenda through: • Policy development • National coordination • Infrastructure and funding • Communications and social marketing • Programs and research • Community planning www.goforgreen.ca
Policy Development • Continue to advocate for a National Active Transportation Policy. • Work with each P-T government to influence their Physical Activity Strategies. • Ensure that Active Transportation is included in the policy framework of the Pan-Canadian Healthy Living Strategy. • Get Active Transportation on the New Deal for Cities agenda. www.goforgreen.ca
National Coordination • Partner with key stakeholders to host an Active Transportation national clearinghouse. • Create a task force of federal officials and NGO representatives to develop a model for a Centre of Excellence. www.goforgreen.ca
Infrastructure and Funding • Ensure that the new Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF) includes active transportation in the sets of guidelines. • Encourage each province and territory to develop their own capital funding program for cost-sharing on cycling and pathway systems (in addition to the Infrastructure Canada programs) • Portion of the Gas Tax earmarked for AT projects. www.goforgreen.ca
Communications and Social Marketing • Ensure that national and P/T physical activity communication campaigns that are in place or under development promote AT. • Increase the promotion of AT in campaigns such as Environment Week, Clean Air Day, Car Free Day, the One-Tonne Challenge etc. • Offer to present on AT at future conferences by groups like the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers. www.goforgreen.ca
Programs and Research • Update the 1998 National Survey on Active Transportation. • Address gaps in research on Active Transportation identified in the Business Case. www.goforgreen.ca
Community Planning • Share best practices. • Participate in educational opportunities. www.goforgreen.ca
What YOU can do… • Promote AT for short trips (e.g. to the corner store.) • Meet with political leaders. • Encourage participation in events such as the Commuter Challenge, International Walk to School Week, Clean Air Day etc. • Take personal action. www.goforgreen.ca