Communities Going Active Toolkit

Active transportation has many benefits: it can reduce traffic congestion, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and encourage communities to be physically active, which in turn helps prevent chronic diseases and foster mental wellness.

However, many people in British Columbia experience barriers that prevent them from using active transportation infrastructure. In order to address individual barriers, we have developed the Communities Going Active Toolkit to support communities in promoting the use of active transportation infrastructure.

Individual barriers to active transportation can be categorized as relating to competence (e.g., cycling skills), motivation, confidence (e.g., belief in abilities and/or perceived safety), and knowledge and awareness of the infrastructure or benefits. Other common barriers relate to access and affordability (such as having the right equipment/gear or enough space to store it).

This toolkit provides ways to address barriers that prevent people from using active transportation, which include interventions that aim to improve confidence, competence, motivation, knowledge and awareness.

While it is merely a guide, BCAHL hopes the examples of successful programs in the toolkit spark new ideas that address conditions unique to various communities in the province, and that more people feel supported in their journey to being active.

View the toolkit here.