Active modes of transportation, including walking, biking, skating, using a wheelchair, and accessing public transportation, increase routine physical activity, reduce carbon emissions, and improve health, happiness, and quality of life.
Here are eight reasons to be active and support active transportation:
- The average annual cost for owning and operating a car is almost $9,000, whereas walking is essentially free and bicycling is very low cost.
- Creating walking and bicycling networks linking home, work, school, shopping, transit and recreation destinations is a fraction of the cost of comparable roads.
- Approximately 10.9% of trips in Orange County are completed by people walking and 12% by people bicycling.
- Walking and biking can help prevent heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and mental health problems such as depression.
- Walking 20 minutes per day will burn seven pounds of body fat per year.
- Fifty-one percent of teens and adults in Orange County are overweight or obese.
- Residents is communities with sidewalks are 65% more likely to walk.
- Walking, biking and public transportation trips make up less than 15% of all trips in Orange County.
Learn more here.