The State of Active Transportation in Nova Scotia

Transcription

1 The State of Active Transportation in Nova Scotia August 2014 Prepared for: Bicycle Nova Scotia Prepared by: Levi Megenbir (MPLAN), Naznin Daisy (PhD, Civil), Justin Forbes (MPS), Irin Shamsad (MSC), Cara Wittich (BCD), Sidney Starkman (BCD), and Ahsan Habib, PhD Assistant Professor and Director Dalhousie Transportation Collaboratory (DalTRAC) School of Planning, and Department of Civil and Resource Engineering Room# B105, Dalhousie University, PO Box: Barrington Street, Halifax, NS Canada, B3H 4R2 Phone: ; B3H 4R2, Halifax, NS, Canada

2 Contents 1 Introduction Active Transportation for Work Trips Modal Share Walking and Cycling for Work Trips by County Modal Share by Commute Distance Average Commute Time by Mode Walking and Cycling for Commuting by Gender Walking and Cycling by Age Potential Demand for Cycling Active Transportation for All Trip Purposes Modal Share for all Trip Purposes Walking for All Trip Purposes by Gender Walking and Cycling for All Trip Purposes by Age Walking for All Trip Purposes by Income Active Transportation and Physical Activity Participation Pattern of Daily Physical Activity Duration of Daily Physical Activities by Type Accessibility by Walking and Cycling Food Stores Public Administration Health Services Educational Institutions Collisions Involving Pedestrians and Cyclists Pedestrian-Related Collisions Total Collisions Injury Severity Temporal Characteristics Personal Characteristics Pedestrian Action and Location... 39

3 6.1.6 Spatial Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions Cyclist-Related Collisions Total Collisions Injury Severity Temporal Characteristics Personal Characteristics Spatial Distribution of Bicycle-Related Collisions Attitudes Towards Active Transportation Conclusion Gaps in Active Transportation Research and Data Appendix List of Figures Figure 2-1 Modal Share of Nova Scotia Commuters, 2006 and Figure 2-2 Walking Modal Share for Commuting by County (2011)... 9 Figure 2-3 Cycling Modal Share for Commuting by County (2011) Figure 2-4 Percentage of Total Walking and Cycling Trips by Commute Distance (2011) Figure 2-5 Walking and Cycling Modal Share by Commute Distance (2011) Figure 2-6 Nova Scotia Average Commute Time by Mode (2011) Figure 2-7 Percentage of Total Walking and Cycling Trips by Commute Time (2011) Figure 2-8 Walking and Cycling Modal Share by Commute Time (2011) Figure 2-9 Percentage of Walking and Cycling Trips for Commuting by Gender (2011) Figure 2-10 Walking and Cycling Modal Share for Commuting by Gender (2011) Figure 2-11 Percentage of Total Walking and Cycling Trips for Commuting by Age (2011) Figure 2-12 Walking and Cycling Modal Share for Commuting by Age (2011) Figure 3-1 Modal Share by All Trip Purposes (2010) Figure 3-2 Percentage of Active Transportation Trips Made by Walking and Cycling (by Trip Purpose, 2010) Figure 3-3 Trend for Walking and Cycling Modal Shares (by All Trip Purposes, ) Figure 3-4 Walking Participation by Gender (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) Figure 3-5 Average Number of Daily Walking Trips by Gender (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) Figure 3-6 Average Walking Duration by Gender (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) Figure 3-7 Walking Participation by Age (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) Figure 3-8 Average Number of Daily Walking Trips by Age (For All Trip Purposes, 2010)... 23

4 Figure 3-9 Average Walking Duration by Age (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) Figure 3-10 Walking Participation by Income Group (for All Trip Purposes, 2010) Figure 3-11 Average Number of Daily Walking Trips by Income (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) Figure 3-12 Average Walking Duration by Income (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) Figure 4-1 Participation Pattern in Daily Physical Activities Figure 4-2 Percentage of Daily Participation in Different Types of Physical Activities Figure 4-3 Average Duration of Physical Activity Figure 4-4 Duration of Daily Physical Activities for Different Types of Physical Activities Figure 4-5 Active Transportation s Contribution to Total Physical Activity Duration Figure 5-1 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest Food Stores Figure 5-2 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Food Stores Figure 5-3 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest Public Administration Figure 5-4 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Public Administration Services Figure 5-5 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest Health Services Figure 5-6 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Health Services Figure 5-7 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest Educational Institutions Figure 5-8 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Educational Institutions Figure 6-1 Total Pedestrian-Related Collisions by Year Figure 6-2 Injury Severity of Pedestrians Involved in Collisions Figure 6-3 Time of Day Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions Figure 6-4 Day of Week Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions Figure 6-5 Monthly Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions Figure 6-6 Age and Gender of Pedestrians Involved in Collisions Figure 6-7 Pedestrian Location at Time of Collision Figure 6-8 Pedestrian Action at Time of Collision Figure 6-9 Spatial Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions Figure 6-10 Total Cyclist-Related Collisions by Year Figure 6-11 Injury Severity of Cyclists Involved in Collisions Figure 6-12 Monthly Distribution of Cyclist-Related Collisions Figure 6-13 Day of Week Distribution of Bicycle-Related Collisions Figure 6-14 Time of Day Distribution of Cyclist-Related Collisions Figure 6-15 Age and Gender of Cyclists Involved in Collisions Figure 6-16 Spatial Distribution of Bicycle-Related Collisions Figure 7-1 Attitudes of HMTS Respondents... 47

5 List of Tables Table 2-1 Change in Modal Share for Work Trips ( )... 9 Table 2-2 Potential Demand for Cycling Table 3-1 Modal Share by Trip Purpose (2010)... 19

6 1 Introduction Promoting active transportation has become an important strategy for addressing many current issues such as global warming, non-renewable energy dependence, and obesity. The province of Nova Scotia has put a strong emphasis on promoting active transportation with the release of its Thrive Strategy (2010) and its Sustainable Transportation Strategy (2013). The Thrive Strategy seeks generally to improve the health of Nova Scotians, with a key objective of increasing physical activity through active transportation. The Sustainable Transportation Strategy 2013 complements the Thrive Strategy by identifying a number of specific policies designed to increase active transportation in Nova Scotia. Currently, there is limited active transportation data compiled at the provincial level in Nova Scotia. Without appropriate data, Nova Scotia cannot understand the effectiveness of its policies towards meeting its active transportation goals. In this report, the Dalhousie Transportation Collaboratory (DalTRAC) presents active transportation patterns and trends in the Province of Nova Scotia. The study builds upon the research DalTRAC conducted in the last two years for benchmarking and tracking progress in all aspects of transportation sustainability. This report however highlights major findings specific to active transportation. The report also identifies major data gaps, and provides recommendations for future data collection. The remainder of the introduction outlines several key patterns and trends for active transportation in Nova Scotia: WORK TRIPS Active transportation accounts for a small, declining percentage of total work trips in Nova Scotia Active transportation is used mostly for short work trips, both relating to commuting time and distance Percentage share of male cyclists is higher than females. On the other hand, females walk more than males in Nova Scotia. ALL TRIP PURPOSES Active transportation is used least for work trips and most for education and household work related trips in Nova Scotia Nova Scotians with higher income tend to take fewer, longer walking trips than lower income Nova Scotians PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Both physical activity and active transportation participation and duration have decreased since 1998 Active transportation s share of total physical activity duration has primarily decreased since 1986.

7 ACCESSIBILITY A high percentage of Nova Scotian households are within feasible walking and cycling distances of major services Active transportation accessibility is lower for institutions and services with larger catchment areas COLLISIONS Collisions involving pedestrians are much more common than collisions involving cyclists The majority of pedestrian collisions occur in late fall and early winter, and the majority of cyclist collisions occur in summer and fall. Collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists are most likely to occur on weekdays during working hours Males are considerably more likely to be involved in cyclist-related collisions ATTITUDES In Halifax, survey respondents demonstrate positive attitudes towards active transportation MAJOR DATA GAPS Trip-related information to assess the state of active transportation is limited in national surveys Modal share and trip attributes of non-work trips (for which active transportation seems more viable) is almost absent in third-party datasets Disaggregate analysis is most challenging for active transportation in case of Public Use Micro Data due to small sample size DATA RECOMMENDATION A regular, standardized provincial data collection program should be a priority for tracking progress for transportation sustainability Building a culture of using travel data/information for policy analysis is necessary Municipalities should begin conducting travel surveys to inform transportation investment plans, specifically active transportation.

8 2 Active Transportation for Work Trips This section considers the walking and cycling trends for work trips in Nova Scotia using the 2006 Census and the 2011 National Household Survey. In Nova Scotia, the share of work trips made by active transportation decreased between 2006 and Walking and cycling for work trips in Nova Scotia varies with a number of factors including geographic location, trip distance, commute time, gender, age, and income. 2.1 Modal Share Presently, there is a small, declining percentage of Nova Scotians who commute to work using active transportation. In 2011, only 7.5% of Nova Scotians commuted using active transportation, which is a notable decline from the 9% of Nova Scotians who commuted using active transportation in 2006 (Figure 2-1). This decrease in active transportation is due to reductions in walking, since the modal share of cycling stayed relatively constant at 0.7% between 2006 and Table 2-1 presents the changes in Nova Scotia s modal share for work trips compared to the Canadian average and other Canadian provinces % 1.6% % 1.3% 10.8% 5.9% 8.2% 7.9% 6.6% 6.8% 72.8% 76.7% Auto driver Public transit Bicycle Auto passenger Walked Other Auto driver Public transit Bicycle Auto passenger Walked Other Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 and 2011 Figure 2-1 Modal Share of Nova Scotia Commuters, 2006 and 2011

9 County Table 2-1 Change in Modal Share for Work Trips ( ) Province Auto Auto Public Walked Bicycle Other Driver Passenger Transit Canadian Average 1.71% -2.07% 1.01% -0.66% -0.02% 0.03% Alberta 2.15% -2.27% 1.28% -0.97% -0.08% -0.11% British Columbia % 2.29% -0.23% 0.15% 0.23% Manitoba 1.43% -1.45% 0.28% -0.62% 0.13% 0.23% New Brunswick 4.22% -2.55% 0.24% -1.31% -0.17% -0.43% Newfoundland and Labrador % % % Nova Scotia 3.91% -2.97% 0.66% -1.36% 0.02% -0.28% Ontario 1.54% -2.15% 1.07% % 0.06% Prince Edward Island 3.53% -2.53% 0.82% -1.26% % Quebec 1.99% -1.78% 0.52% -0.71% -0.05% 0.02% Saskatchewan 2.15% -1.13% 0.58% -1.37% -0.31% 0.08% 2.2 Walking and Cycling for Work Trips by County Walking and cycling for work trips varies considerably between the counties in Nova Scotia (Figure 2-2, Figure 2-3). Halifax County has the highest walking and cycling modal share for work trips compared to the other Nova Scotian counties. Halifax Antigonish Victoria Cumberland Inverness Annapolis Kings Cape Breton Guysborough Colchester Shelburne Yarmouth Queens Digby Lunenburg Pictou Richmond Hants 5.4% 5.3% 5.1% 4.9% 4.8% 4.8% 4.7% 4.5% 4.3% 3.8% 3.6% % 6.3% % 8.4% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% Modal Share Figure 2-2 Walking Modal Share for Commuting by County (2011)

10 County Halifax Kings Annapolis Colchester Cumberland Lunenburg Antigonish Yarmouth Cape Breton Hants Pictou Victoria Inverness Guysborough Shelburne Queens Digby Richmond 1.1% 0.9% 0.4% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% % 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% Modal Share Figure 2-3 Cycling Modal Share for Commuting by County (2011) 2.3 Modal Share by Commute Distance Overall, the use of active transportation in Nova Scotia is higher for shorter commuting trips. For example, the majority (81%) of all commuter walking trips are shorter than 3km in distance, with 41% being shorter than 1km. Further, the majority (78%) of all commuter cycling trips are less than 5km in distance, with 5 occurring within commuting distances of 1 to 3km (Figure 2-4). The trends for walking and cycling modal shares by commuting distance (Figure 2-5) are very similar to the trends in the percentage of total walking and cycling trips by commuting distance (Figure 2-4). However, Figure 2-5 reveals that walking is a more popular form of active transportation than cycling at almost all commuting distances. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, approximately 7% of all Nova Scotian residents commute less than 1km and 35% commute less than 5km. Given that feasible walking and cycling distances are often described as being under 1km and 5km respectively, these results show great opportunity for increasing commuting by active transportation in Nova Scotia.

11 Modal Share % 5 39% % 15% Less than 1km 1 to 2.9km 6% 3 to 4.9km 6% 2% 5 to 6.9km 4% 7% 2% 3% 3% 2% 1% 1% 1% 7 to 10 to 15 to 20 to 25 to 30 to 35km + 9.9km 14.9km 19.9km 24.9km 29.9km 34.9km Walking Cycling Figure 2-4 Percentage of Total Walking and Cycling Trips by Commute Distance (2011) 45% % 35% 3 25% 2 15% 16.9% 5% 1.2% 2.2% 3.2% 0.9% <1 1 to to to to to % 1.6% 1.5% 1.6% 1.8% 1.7% 2.2% 0.9% 0.5% 0.3% 0.4% 0.2% 0.2% to 19.9 Commuting Distance (km) 20 to to to Walked Bicycle Figure 2-5 Walking and Cycling Modal Share by Commute Distance (2011)

12 Average Commute Time (Min) 2.4 Average Commute Time by Mode On average, those commuting by active transportation have shorter commutes than those commuting by other modes, with walking commuters having by far the shortest average commuting times (Figure 2-6). General trends in active transportation use by commuting time are similar to the trends by commuting distance, with the percentage of total walking and cycling trips declining as commuting times increase (Figure 2-7). This declining trend is also true for Nova Scotia s walking modal share, but Nova Scotia s cycling modal share does not follow a consistent trend with respect to commuting time (Figure 2-8) Auto Driver Auto Passenger Public Transit Walked Bicycle Other Mode Figure 2-6 Nova Scotia Average Commute Time by Mode (2011)

13 Modal Share Percentage of Total Walking and Bicycle Trips % % 38% 31% 2 14% 9% 8% 2% 3% 1% <15 Minutes 15 to 29 Minutes 30 to 44 Minutes 45 to 59 Minutes 60+ Minutes Commuting Time Walked Bicycle Figure 2-7 Percentage of Total Walking and Cycling Trips by Commute Time (2011) 12% 11.1% 8% 6% 5.9% 4% 2% 3.1% 2.3% 0.7% 0.7% 0.5% 1.5% % <15 Minutes 15 to 29 Minutes 30 to 44 Minutes 45 to 59 Minutes 60+ Minutes Time Walked Bicycle Figure 2-8 Walking and Cycling Modal Share by Commute Time (2011)

14 Modal Share 2.5 Walking and Cycling for Commuting by Gender In Nova Scotia, percentage share of male cyclists is higher than females. On the other hand, females walk more than males (Figure 2-9, Figure 2-10). These results are consistent with other North American cities, with women often being less willing to cycle without the presence of proper cycling infrastructure. Walking Cycling 31% 46% 54% 69% Male Female Male Female Figure 2-9 Percentage of Walking and Cycling Trips for Commuting by Gender (2011) 8% 7.4% 7% 6.3% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0.9% 0.4% Walked Mode Bicycle Male Female Figure 2-10 Walking and Cycling Modal Share for Commuting by Gender (2011)

15 2.6 Walking and Cycling by Age There are considerable differences in active transportation commuting trends by age in Nova Scotia. For example, Nova Scotians between the ages of 25 and 44 take the highest percentage and Nova Scotians over 65 years old take the lowest percentage of total walking and cycling trips for work commutes (Figure 2-11). Although walking is used more than cycling for commuting by all age groups, Nova Scotians between the ages of 15 and 24 have the highest walking modal share, and Nova Scotians between the ages of 25 and 44 have the highest cycling modal share (Figure 2-12). An interesting result is that the walking mode share increases substantially between the 45 to 64 years old and the 65 years and over age categories. This result could be caused by a number of factors including a reduction in the number of individuals capable of safely driving within the latter age category. Walking Cycling 2% 33% 4% 26% 31% 15% 38% 53% 15 to 24 years 25 to 44 years 45 to 64 years 65 years and over 15 to 24 years 25 to 44 years 45 to 64 years 65 years and over Figure 2-11 Percentage of Total Walking and Cycling Trips for Commuting by Age (2011)

16 Modal Split 16% 14% 13.8% 12% 9. 8% 6% 4% 6.9% 5.6% 2% 0.8% % 0.4% 15 to 24 years 25 to 44 years 45 to 64 years 65 years and over Age Walked Bicycle Figure 2-12 Walking and Cycling Modal Share for Commuting by Age (2011) 2.7 Potential Demand for Cycling The table below (Table 2-2) describes the potential demand for cycling in Nova Scotia and a number of smaller regions within Nova Scotia. First, we assumed that any commuting trips less than 5km are feasible for cycling. Secondly, we determine the proportion of Nova Scotian commuters that live within 5km. Third, we then use the median commuting distance to determine the corresponding bicycle commute time for cycling, assuming a conservative average cycling speed. The analysis reveals that 35.4% of Nova Scotians live within a 34 minute cycling commute (although 20.7 minutes is the current average cycling commute time in Nova Scotia). Given that the existing cycling mode share is only 0.7%, these figures show the significant potential for increased cycling in the Province.

17 Geography Median Commuting Distance (km) Table 2-2 Potential Demand for Cycling Total Commuters Number of Commuters Within 5km Existing Bicycle Mode Share (%) % Total Commuters within 5 km Canada ,069,895 4,741, Nova Scotia , , Halifax ,980 68, Kentville ,200 3, Truro 6 17,250 7, New Glasgow ,150 6, Cape Breton ,300 15, Assuming a conservative average cycling speed of 15 km/h Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 Bicycle Commute Time (minutes) 1

18 3 Active Transportation for All Trip Purposes Where the previous section considers active transportation for work trips only, this section considers active transportation for all trip purposes in Nova Scotia. This section uses data from the General Social Surveys which were conducted by Statistics Canada between 1986 and In Nova Scotia, the use of active transportation is highest for education and household work related trips, and, similar to work commuting trends, the use of active transportation for all trip purposes is also decreasing over time. Additionally, the characteristics of walking trips for all trip purposes vary by gender, age, and income. 3.1 Modal Share for all Trip Purposes Presently, active transportation accounts for less than 13% of all trips in Nova Scotia, with approximately 12% of trips made by walking and less than 1% of trips made by cycling (Figure 3-1). Table 3-1 shows the breakdown of modal share by various travel purposes. It is interesting that the modal share of active transportation is the lowest for work trips in Nova Scotia, but highest for school and education trips and for household work related trips. Figure 3-2 expands upon the information in Table 3-1 by displaying the percentage of total active transportation trips made by walking and cycling for each trip purpose. This figure shows that, for most trip purposes, walking accounts for the vast majority ( 9) of all active transportation trips, with cycling only accounting for or more of active transportation trips within the school, shopping, and sport/hobby travel purpose categories (Figure 3-2). The trends in active transportation for all trip purposes are similar to active transportation trends for commuting (Figure 2-1). For example, Figure 3-3 shows that the modal shares of walking and cycling for all trip purposes have generally been decreasing between 1992 and However, contrary to this general trend, there seems to have been a sizeable increase in the cycling modal share for all trip purposes between 2005 and 2010.

19 0.7% 3.7% % 13.4% 68. Auto Driver Auto Passenger Walk Bicycle Public Transit Other Figure 3-1 Modal Share by All Trip Purposes (2010) Table 3-1 Modal Share by Trip Purpose (2010) Mandatory* Trip Purpose Work Auto Driver 73.9% Auto Passenger Walk Bicycle Public Transit Other 6.3% 8.2% 0.4% 9.7% 1.6% School & education 31.5% 20.4% 25.9% 3.7% 16.7% 1.9% Maintenance* Household Work & Related Activities Care Giving for Household Members Shopping for Goods & Services % 5.3% 9.2% % 0.5% 73.9% % % 0.7% Personal Care 55.8% 20.8% % 1.4% 4.2% Discretionary* Organization, Religious & Voluntary Activity 70.2% 14.9% 11.7% % 2.1% Entertainment 60.8% 17.7% 16.9% 0.4% 2.3% 1.9% Sports & Hobbies 60.9% 16.3% 14.4% % Media & Communication 57.1% 14.3% 21.4% % 0. *See Appendix A for definitions of mandatory, maintenance, and discretionary activities

20 Modal Split (%) Percentage of Total Active Transportation Trips 10 95% 9 4% 13% 4% 2% 12% 85% 8 75% 96% 88% % 10 98% 88% 10 7 Trip Purpose % of AT trips by Walking % of AT Trips by Bicycle Figure 3-2 Percentage of Active Transportation Trips Made by Walking and Cycling (by Trip Purpose, 2010) Year Walk Bicycle Figure 3-3 Trend for Walking and Cycling Modal Shares (by All Trip Purposes, )

21 Percentage of Male or Female Respondents 3.2 Walking for All Trip Purposes by Gender Figure 3-4 shows the percentage of male and female Nova Scotians that participated in at least one walking trip on a typical day, Figure 3-5 presents the average number of daily walking trips for walking participants by gender, and Figure 3-6 depicts the average duration of a walking trip for walking participants by gender. Like the results for commuting in Nova Scotia (Figure 2-9), an average female is more likely to participate in at least one walking trip every day (Figure 3-4), and to participate in more average daily walking trips than an average male (Figure 3-5). However, an average male Nova Scotian is likely to take longer walking trips than an average female Nova Scotian (Figure 3-6). 45% % % 2 15% 5% Male Gender Female Figure 3-4 Walking Participation by Gender (For All Trip Purposes, 2010)

22 Average Per-Trip Walking Duration (Minutes) Average Number of Daily Walking Trips (For Walking Participants) Male Gender Female Figure 3-5 Average Number of Daily Walking Trips by Gender (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) Male Gender Female Figure 3-6 Average Walking Duration by Gender (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) 3.3 Walking and Cycling for All Trip Purposes by Age In Nova Scotia, walking participation, the average number of daily walking trips, and the average duration of walking trips all vary by age. For all trip purposes, the trends in walking participation and the number of daily walking trips by age are similar (Figure 3-7, Figure 3-8) but vary from walking trends for work trips by age (Figure 2-12). Further, the average duration of each walking trip generally decreases with age (Figure 3-9).

23 Average Number of Daily Walking Trips (For Walking Participants) Percentage of Respondents (Within Each Age Category) % 52% 34% 26% 15 to 29 years 30 to 39 years 40 to 64 years 65 & Above Age Figure 3-7 Walking Participation by Age (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) to 29 years 30 to 39 years 40 to 64 years 65 & Above Age Figure 3-8 Average Number of Daily Walking Trips by Age (For All Trip Purposes, 2010)

24 Percentage of Respondents (Within Each Income Category) Average Per-Trip Walking Duration (Minutes) to 29 years 30 to 39 years 40 to 64 years 65 & Above Age Figure 3-9 Average Walking Duration by Age (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) 3.4 Walking for All Trip Purposes by Income In Nova Scotia, walking participation, the average number of daily walking trips, and the average duration of walking trips all vary with income. Both walking participation and the average number of daily walking trips decrease with income (Figure 3-10, Figure 3-11). Per-trip walking duration changes with income, but it does not follow a consistent trend (Figure 3-12) % 4 37% % % Less than $10,000 $10,000 to $19,999 $20,000 to $39,999 $40,000 to $59,999 $60,000 to $79,999 Above $80,000 Respondent Annual Income Figure 3-10 Walking Participation by Income Group (for All Trip Purposes, 2010)

25 Average Per-Trip Walking Duration (Minutes) Average Number of Daily Walking Trips (For Walking Participants) Less than $10,000 $10,000 to $19,999 $20,000 to $39,999 $40,000 to $59,999 $60,000 to $79,999 Above $80,000 Respondent Annual Income Figure 3-11 Average Number of Daily Walking Trips by Income (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) Less than $10,000 $10,000 to $19,999 $20,000 to $39,999 $40,000 to $59,999 $60,000 to $79,999 Above $80,000 Respondent Annual Income Figure 3-12 Average Walking Duration by Income (For All Trip Purposes, 2010)

26 Percentage of Respondents (%) 4 Active Transportation and Physical Activity This section considers physical activity and active transportation for all trip purposes in Nova Scotia using data from Statistics Canada s General Social Survey (conducted between 1986 and 2010). One benefit of active transportation is its link with physical activity and health. Nova Scotia s THRIVE strategy seeks to use this link to improve health for Nova Scotians by promoting active transportation. Consequently, data on active transportation and physical activity is important for tracking progress. In Nova Scotia, both the participation and duration of active transportation and physical activity have been decreasing since 1998, and the contribution of active transportation to total physical activity has generally been decreasing since Participation Pattern of Daily Physical Activity In Nova Scotia, the participation in physical activity has decreased since 1998, with only 44% of Nova Scotians participating in at least one daily physical activity in 2010 (Figure 4-1). Figure 4-2 shows the percentage of Nova Scotians that participate daily in at least one physical activity within the in-home, out-of-home, and active transportation activity categories over time. Since 1986, there has been an overall increase in in-home and out-of-home physical activity participation and a decrease in active transportation participation. That being said, participation in out-of-home physical activities peaked in 1998 and has decreased notably since then Year No Physical Activity Participation rate of Physical Activity Figure 4-1 Participation Pattern in Daily Physical Activities

27 Percentage of Respondents (%) Year In Home Out Home Active Travel Figure 4-2 Percentage of Daily Participation in Different Types of Physical Activities Duration of Daily Physical Activities by Type The average duration of physical activities has been decreasing since 1998, and the latest average from 2010 is minutes per day (Figure 4-3). This decreasing duration of physical activities is the result of less time spent on in-home physical activities since 2005, and out-ofhome physical activities and active transportation since 1998 (Figure 4-4). Finally, except for a marginal increase between 2005 and 2010, the contribution of active transportation to total physical activity duration has been decreasing since 1986 (Figure 4-5).

28 Duration (Minutes) Average Duration (Minutes) Year Physical Activity Figure 4-3 Average Duration of Physical Activity Year In Home Out Home Active Travel Figure 4-4 Duration of Daily Physical Activities for Different Types of Physical Activities

29 Percentage of Total Physical Activity Duration 45% 4 35% 3 25% 39.1% 2 15% 5% 14.9% 14.4% 11.4% 11.5% Year Duration of Active Transportation Figure 4-5 Active Transportation s Contribution to Total Physical Activity Duration

30 Percentage of Households 5 Accessibility by Walking and Cycling Where subsection 2.3 examines only workplace accessibility, this section considers the accessibility of food stores, public administration services, health care services, and educational institutions by walking and cycling in Nova Scotia. This section uses average network distances which were calculated in ArcGIS (using census data and the Nova Scotia points of interest data from DTMI Spatial) for representing walking and cycling accessibility. Overall, a large portion of these services are feasibly accessible by walking and cycling in Nova Scotia. In general, service providers with bigger catchment areas (ie. larger or more specialized) tend to be less accessible by active transportation than service providers with smaller catchment areas. 5.1 Food Stores Figure 5-1 demonstrates that 39% of households are accessible to food stores by walking (within 1 km) and 7 of households are accessible to food stores by cycling (within 5 km). Figure 5-2 depicts accessibility using smaller distance bands which provides a more detailed picture of food access by active transportation % 84% 7 39% 1 km 5 km 10 km 25 km Figure 5-1 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest Food Stores

31 Percentage of Households Percentage of Households 45% 39% 4 35% 3 25% 2 15% 14% 15% 7% 7% 5% 4% 4% 5% 2% 2% >25 Closest Distance (Km) Figure 5-2 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Food Stores 5.2 Public Administration As demonstrated in Figure 5-3, 36% of households are accessible to public administration services by walking (within 1 km) and approximately 67% of households are accessible to public administration services by cycling (within 5 km). Although there are fewer households within walking distance of public administration services than food stores, Figure 5-4 and Figure 5-2 show an equal distribution of households within the cycling only active transportation distance bands (2-5km) for both food stores and public administration services. Public Administration % 78% 67% 36% 1 km 5 km 10 km 25 km Figure 5-3 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest Public Administration

32 Percentage of Households Percentage of Households Public Administration 4 36% 35% 3 25% 2 15% 15% 11% 7% 7% 5% 7% 4% 5% 3% 5% >25 Closest Distance (km) Figure 5-4 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Public Administration Services 5.3 Health Services This subsection compares the accessibility of several health service categories in Nova Scotia (Figure 5-5). Although all health service categories have similar accessibility within cycling only active transportation distances (2-5km), the offices and clinics of physicians and dentists are notably more accessible by walking (less than 1km) than other health service types. Figure 5-6 represents a more detailed measure of health accessibility using smaller distance bands. Health Services % 13% 31% 28% Offices And Clinics Of Physicians 26% 18% 23% 32% 31% 11% 12% General Medical And Surgical Hospitals Home Health Care Services 17% 12% 33% 24% Offices And Clinics Of Dentists 23% 12% 3 12% Offices Of Optometrists 10 to 25 km 5 to 10 km 1 to 5 km <1 km Figure 5-5 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest Health Services

33 Percentage of Households 3 Health Services 25% 2 15% 5% >25 Closest Distance (km) Offices And Clinics Of Physicians General Medical And Surgical Hospitals Home Health Care Services Offices And Clinics Of Dentists Offices Of Optometrists Figure 5-6 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Health Services 5.4 Educational Institutions This subsection compares the accessibility of several educational institution categories in Nova Scotia (Figure 5-7). The active transportation accessibility of educational institutions seems to increase with the level of education, with elementary schools being the most accessible and colleges and universities being the least accessible. This makes sense given that the catchment area of schools tends to increase with education level. Figure 5-8 represents a more detailed measure of education accessibility using smaller distance bands.

34 Percentage of Households Percentage of Households % 15% 4 27% Elementary schools 21% 19% 12% 13% 37% 38% 21% 11% 24% 17% 31% 34% 17% 15% 13% 11% Secondary schools High schools College and university Libraries 10 to 25 km 5 to 10 km 1 to 5 km <1 km Figure 5-7 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest Educational Institutions 3 25% 2 15% 5% >25 Closest Distance (km) Elementary Schools Secondary Schools High Schools Colllege and University Libraries Figure 5-8 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Educational Institutions

35 6 Collisions Involving Pedestrians and Cyclists This section provides a detailed overview of collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists in Nova Scotia using data from the SNSMR Collision Records. Injuries and deaths from collisions impact the health outcomes of transportation choices. Understanding the incidence of injury and death from active transportation is particularly important given Nova Scotia s goal within the THRIVE strategy to improve health through active transportation promotion. Further, understanding the causes of collisions can lead to future collision mitigation. This is important because the perception of safety can have an impact on mode choice (and the resulting perceived desirability of commuting by active transportation). In Nova Scotia, collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists are most likely to occur on weekdays during working hours. Overall, there are far more pedestrian-related collisions than cyclist-related collisions in Nova Scotia, and cyclist-related collisions are more likely to occur during summer and fall, whereas pedestrian-related collisions are more likely to occur in the late fall and early winter. This section also considers the demographics of pedestrians and cyclists involved in collisions and the causes of pedestrian and cyclist collisions. 6.1 Pedestrian-Related Collisions Total Collisions From 2007 to 2011, there were 1567 collisions involving 1751 pedestrians. While collisions involving pedestrians have remained relatively stable, the total annual number of actual pedestrians involved in collisions has been increasing between 2007 and Figure 6-1 Total Pedestrian-Related Collisions by Year

36 6.1.2 Injury Severity The figure below shows the injury severity of pedestrians involved in collisions. Many collisions resulted in minor injuries (26%), but a large portion resulted in moderate injuries (5). The greater likelihood of pedestrians sustaining more severe injuries may be due to their higher vulnerability relative to other road users (i.e., auto-drivers and auto-passengers) Not injured Minor - no treatment Moderate - treated & released Major - hospitalized Fatal Fatal Major - hospitalized Moderate - treated & released Minor - no treatment Not injured Figure 6-2 Injury Severity of Pedestrians Involved in Collisions Temporal Characteristics Pedestrian-related collisions occurred most frequently between 2PM to 3PM and 5PM to 6PM (Figure 6-3). The apparent peak represented in the 12AM to 1AM time group may be misrepresented. It is believed that the time variable in the raw data defaults to 12AM when no data is entered. Pedestrian-related collisions occur more frequently on weekdays compared to weekend days, which is likely attributed to higher numbers of pedestrian commuters during the workweek (Figure 6-4). This trend is consistent with the time of day variable, as most collisions occur during the workday hours (Figure 6-5). The frequency of pedestrian-related collisions is higher in the winter months, particularly between November and January. This observation can likely be attributed to seasonal factors including lack of visibility and poor road conditions.

37 14% 12% 8% 6% 4% 2% Figure 6-3 Time of Day Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions 25% 2 15% 5% Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Figure 6-4 Day of Week Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions

38 18% 16% 14% 12% 8% 6% 4% 2% Figure 6-5 Monthly Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions Personal Characteristics The distribution of the age and gender of pedestrians involved in collisions is detailed in the Figure 6-6 below. Male and female involvement is relatively equal at 51% and 49% respectively. The age group was the most frequently involved, followed by the by age group. 9% 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% Male (Census) Female (Census) Male Female Figure 6-6 Age and Gender of Pedestrians Involved in Collisions

39 6.1.5 Pedestrian Action and Location Forty-four percent of pedestrian-related collisions occurred in marked crosswalks at intersections. A significant portion (23%) of pedestrian-related collisions also occurred in the roadway and not in a crosswalk or intersection (Figure 6-7). In 45% of pedestrian-related collisions, there was no pedestrian action as a contributing factor (Figure 6-8). The most frequently reported pedestrian actions at time of collision include improper crossing (), darting into the roadway (8%), and not being visible (4%). 0.4% 0.4% Marked crosswalk at intersection 4% 4% 4% 2% In roadway(not in crosswalk or intersection) At intersection but no marked crosswalk 5% Non-intersection crosswalk 6% 44% Sidewalk Outside trafficway 8% Roadside Shoulder Driveway access crosswalk 23% Island Median (but not on shoulder) Figure 6-7 Pedestrian Location at Time of Collision

40 4% 2% 3% 1% No pedestrian action as contributing factor Unknown 4% Improper crossing 8% 45% Darting into roadway Not visible (dark clothing) Inattentive (talking, eating, etc.) In roadway (standing, on knees, lying, etc.) 24% Failure to yield right-of-way Failure to obey traffic signs, signals, or officer Figure 6-8 Pedestrian Action at Time of Collision

41 6.1.6 Spatial Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions Figure 6-9 Spatial Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions

42 6.2 Cyclist-Related Collisions Total Collisions Between 2007 and 2011, there were 473 cyclists involved in collisions, resulting in three fatalities. There is no clear trend in annual cyclist-related collisions (Figure 6-10). It is important to note that in Nova Scotia, all collisions involving property damage over $1,000 and/or result in injuries or fatalities on a public road require reporting. It is therefore presumed that underreporting is present Figure 6-10 Total Cyclist-Related Collisions by Year

43 6.2.2 Injury Severity A significant proportion of cyclist collisions resulted in major or moderate injuries (55%) with only 26% of cyclists sustaining minor injuries. Further, there were three cyclist fatalities in the 5-year period Not injured Minor - no treatment Moderate - treated & released Major - hospitalized Fatal Fatal Major - hospitalized Moderate - treated & released Minor - no treatment Not injured Figure 6-11 Injury Severity of Cyclists Involved in Collisions Temporal Characteristics The frequency of cyclist-related collisions is higher in the spring and summer months from May to October as shown in Figure 6-12 below. This is likely attributable to increased ridership during these months. Cyclist-related collisions occur most frequently on weekdays rather than on weekend days (Figure 6-13). These higher collision frequencies may be attributed to the increased volume of road users during weekdays. This trend is consistent is consistent with the time of day variable as most collisions occur during the workday hours. Collisions involving cyclists occurred most frequently between 3 and 6 PM (Figure 6-14).

44 3 25% 2 15% 5% Figure 6-12 Monthly Distribution of Cyclist-Related Collisions 25% 2 15% 5% Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Figure 6-13 Day of Week Distribution of Bicycle-Related Collisions

45 18% 16% 14% 12% 8% 6% 4% 2% Figure 6-14 Time of Day Distribution of Cyclist-Related Collisions Personal Characteristics The distribution of the age and gender of cyclists involved in collisions are presented in Figure 6-15 below. Males are involved in significantly more cyclist-related collisions compared to females. The findings indicate that males were involved in 77% of collisions while female involvement was only 23%. For male cyclists, those aged were the most frequently involved in collisions while, for female cyclists, those aged were the most frequently involved. 18% 16% 14% 12% 8% 6% 4% 2% Male (Census) Female (Census) Male Female Figure 6-15 Age and Gender of Cyclists Involved in Collisions

46 6.2.5 Spatial Distribution of Bicycle-Related Collisions Figure 6-16 Spatial Distribution of Bicycle-Related Collisions

47 Percentage of Respondents 7 Attitudes Towards Active Transportation In 2013, DalTRAC conducted a Household Mobility and Travel Survey (HMTS) in the Halifax Regional Municipality. The HMTS asked questions about the travel behaviour, attitudes, and lifestyles of residents within the HRM. The majority of HMTS respondents typically agreed with the positive attitudinal statements about active transportation such as I enjoy riding a bicycle, I prefer walking to driving whenever possible, I consider walking a part of daily exercise, and I consider proximity to shops and services important (Figure 7-1). However, despite the vast majority of respondents agreeing with these statements, the actual use of active transportation by respondents was low in comparison. To provide contrast, approximately 85% of respondents also agreed with the attitudinal statement that driving provides me with freedom. These results mean that, although many Nova Scotians favour active transportation, walking and cycling may not always be feasible methods of transportation given current development patterns. Regardless, these attitudinal results demonstrate that there is potential for increasing walking and cycling in Nova Scotia % 8% 3% 2% 11% 17% 19% 22% 73% 71% I enjoy riding a bicycle I prefer walking to driving whenever possible 79% I consider walking part of my daily exercise Agree Disagree Unsure 87% Proximity to shops/services is important to me Figure 7-1 Attitudes of HMTS Respondents

48 8 Conclusion This active transportation study by DalTRAC provides a useful benchmark for the state of active transportation in Nova Scotia. Data from the Census, the National Household Survey (NHS), the General Social Survey (GSS), and the Halifax Mobility Travel Survey (HMTS) all provide reasonable insights into the patterns and trends of active transportation in Nova Scotia, and are capable of tracking active transportation trends into the future to a certain extent. Although this report does provide some analysis of disaggregate active transportation patterns by age, income, gender, commuting distance, and commuting time, further disaggregate analysis is possible if appropriate travel surveys become available Gaps in Active Transportation Research and Data Travel behaviour data It is worth noting that lack of readily available trip-related attributes was a primary constraint for this study. In many cases, the research team took creative approaches to retrieve active transportation information (for example, the use of travel episode information from the General Social Survey micro-sample dataset). Generally speaking, detailed information on active transportation patterns and trends are limited in Canada. Modal share and trip attributes of non-work trips is almost absent in the Census and National Household Survey. Promoting active transportation for non-work trips and short-distance travel is becoming a key policy focus in many jurisdictions. Given that Nova Scotia does not currently conduct travel surveys; this information is even more limited in Nova Scotia compared to other provinces like Ontario and Quebec. Specialized Travel surveys (e.g., Origin-Destination surveys) can provide detailed, disaggregate information about travel behaviour beyond that provided by other data sources such as the National Household Survey or General Social Survey. Furthermore, municipalities in Nova Scotia (even larger municipalities such as Halifax) do not conduct travel surveys. However, there is a growing interest in transportation data collection in the Province. Halifax Regional Municipality is considering a large-scale travel data collection program. Other municipalities, such as Town of Bridgewater (Nova Insights, 2013), Colchester County (Habib, 2014) conducted Active Transportation Surveys. Local initiatives are often driven by specific project need. For example, Colchester County (Habib, 2014) Active Transportation Survey 2014 was designed to collect information for a social marketing campaign. On the other hand, the Town of Bridgewater (Nova Insights, 2013) collects information on frequency of AT use, perception regarding walkability and AT initiatives. None of the surveys, however follow state-of-practice (commonly used in many places) travel survey designs that would help to objectively identify origin-destination patterns and relevant travel

49 behaviour. It is crucial to follow a standardized travel survey format (for example, definition of modes) for consistency in comparison across municipalities. Therefore, this study recommends setting up a regular, standardized provincial data collection program in partnership with the local municipalities. The standardized survey should follow traditional travel survey methods. It could be a collection of travel diary information for 24-hr time period and retrieving data on daily travel for each household member. The data collection should include: household characteristics, characteristics of household members, information on daily trips and activities; start time and end time of trips, and information on trip origin and destination Active transportation infrastructure inventory This study also found that active transportation infrastructure-related information is not readily available to the majority of municipalities in Nova Scotia. In recent UNSM/CTNS sponsored survey (Habib, 2014), only 23% municipalities could offer detailed inventory of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure (e.g., km of sidewalks, bike lanes, paved shoulder or no. of bike parking). Since these types of information is vital for monitoring progress towards municipal sustainability goals, we would like to recommend creating a mechanism for reporting walking and cycling infrastructure by all Nova Scotia Municipalities. A shorter version of the 2014 Nova Scotia State of AT Survey questionnaire can be used for this purpose. However, the success of the survey will depend on the participation of Nova Scotia municipalities Use of data/information for policy making Limited data hinders the use of travel information for transportation-related policy development. On the other hand, lesser use of transportation data in policy debates reduces the priority of collecting good quality data. Recently, Nova Scotia s Sustainable Transportation Strategy makes tracking the progress of sustainable transportation (including active transportation) a priority. Perhaps it will trigger a cultural shift towards a better use of available data during policy development stages, and collection of newer, relevant trip-related information that are vital in tracking progress of transportation sustainability.