presented by Karen Laberee Baseline data was collected in 2017 for the first INTERACT study site – Victoria, British Columbia—where we are examining the impact of an All Ages and Abilities (AAA) Bike Network. Over 300 participants, who ride a bicycle at least occasionally, were recruited for the 5-year longitudinal study. The goal of the interviews was to gather descriptions of individual experiences of urban contexts, in general and with respect to the AAA bike network. Open-ended questions fell under the themes of neighborhood, well-being, social connectivity, facilitators and barriers to bicycling, and the intervention (AAA bike network). We invited participants to talk about their neighborhood, daily routines, social activities, travel modes, cycling behavior, and what they knew and how they felt about the AAA bike network. Laberee K, Bailey K, Fischer J, Ottoni C, Sims-Gould J, Nelson TA, Kestens Y, Fuller D, Lord S, Shareck M, Winters M. Reimagining our cities to be healthier places for everyone: Team INTERACT examines the impact of an ‘All Ages and Abilities’ Bike Network on health and well-being using a mixed methods approach. Poster Presentation at: Walk, Bike, Places; Sept. 2018; New Orleans, LA.

1. Reimagining our cities to be healthier places for everyone: Team INTERACT examines the impact of
an All Ages and Abilities Bike Network on health and well-being using a mixed methods approach
K. Laberee1,2; K. Bailey1; J. Fischer1; C. Ottoni3
; J. Sims-Gould3; T. Nelson2,4; Y, Kestens5; D. Fuller6; S. Lord5; M. Shareck7; and M. Winters1.
1 Simon Fraser University, Canada; 2 University of Victoria, Canada; 3 University of British Columbia, Canada; 4 Arizona State University, United States; 5 Université de Montréal, Canada; 6 Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada; 7 University of Toronto, Canada
Background
The INTerventions, Research, and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT) is a national research collaboration
interested in how changes to the built environment impact health and well-being. In the first INTERACT study
in Victoria, BC, we are examining the impact of an All Ages and Abilities Bike Network. Over 300 participants,
who bike at least occasionally, were recruited for a five-year longitudinal study. In 2017, participants were
asked to complete two surveys and collect GPS & accelerometry data. From this cohort, 25 participants were
chosen for a semi-structured interview.
Objectives
The goal of the interviews was to gather descriptions of individual experiences of urban contexts, in general and
with respect to the AAA bicycle network. Specifically, we were interested in exploring participants’ view on:
• their neighbourhood: how it impacts their social connectivity and well-being;
• facilitators and barriers to bicycling; and
• the intervention (AAA bike network).
Who Did We Talk To?
We asked participants:
What type of cyclist best describes you?
• Strong & Fearless;
• Enthused & Confident;
• Interested but Concerned; or
• No Way; No How.
Several were reluctant to call themselves
“fearless”, despite being strong cyclists.
(No participants identified as “No Way; No How”.)
Neighbourhood: Social
Connection
Are you satisfied with your connection to the local community?
“No. But I really enjoy the view that I have from home…and you know how it
is when you rent. You get what you get and you don’t get upset. I just wake
up every morning and (am) like, oh, my god, look at those mountains or look
at the ocean. I can’t complain.”
“I think it’d be nice to have more connection…having…seen other friends
who’ve moved into communities and they know all their neighbours and all
their neighbours’ kids. They spend a lot of time at each other’s houses…it
would be nice.”
“There was a lot of retired people in the neighbourhood and they really
looked after our animals and our kids…it was just a really friendly, loving
neighbourhood. And so we stayed, actually, and added on to our house
instead of moving. Lately now…because of housing costs we see a lot of
turnover. So the neighbourhood community was very strong, but has gone
down, I think, because of the turnover.”
Neighbourhood: Well-Being
A Disconnect?
Survey responses to questions on
neighbourhood attachment and community
belonging were quite positive, while the
discussions in interviews revealed that few
had strong connections to their local
community.
Special Places?
In the interviews,
exploring well-being
resonated more when
we discussed public
places where
participants enjoyed
spending time, and
the feelings those
places evoked.
The Intervention
Pandora Protected
Lane
The City of Victoria is building a network of bicycle
routes consisting of:
• physically separated bike lanes;
• shared roadways; and
• multi-use trails.
Phase 1 consists of 5.4 km of downtown streets
with All Ages and Abilities cycling routes.
In interviews, we asked what participants
like and dislike about the AAA bike
network. The number of spoke beads
represent the number of participants who
mentioned this theme.
Facilitators to Bicycling
The Galloping Goose is a regional trail
system and is well used as both a
transportation corridor and recreation
facility. Many mentioned the Galloping
Goose and its role facilitating bicycling in
their lives.
Of the streets mentioned as barriers to
cycling, only Wharf St. will get protected
lanes under the AAA bike network plan. The
plan does include routes that parallel Cook
and Shelbourne Streets.
Galloping Goose?
Research
funded by:
“It feels so nice and feels so
comfortable…you could feel the
quality of the street change. It
does feel like more of a social
area now.”
“I love to ride my bike in the springtime.
The cherry blossoms start coming out.
There is this amazing scent in the air and
they’re all falling down and swirling
around my tires.”
“Dallas Road is so gorgeous. I don’t consider myself
to be a spiritual person, but there’s something that
fills my chest with that sense of…I don’t know what
it is but I always feel refreshed and rejuvenated
when I go down there.”
“We like Chinatown because it
feels unplanned. There are more
things there that you might see
that would surprise you, right?
Which is why you live in a city…”
Barriers to Bicycling