Strategies for Your Environment

Schools

• Institute a Safe Routes to School and a "Walking/Biking School Bus" program at your community school.
• Integrate walking and biking messages into the curriculum.
• Hold educational assemblies on pedestrian and bicycle safety to teach students about traffic regulations and about how to walk and bike defensively.

Older Adults

• Create social networking opportunities such as a “Bike Share” program, a “Bike Buddy” program, or biking and walking groups.
  
• Participate in exercise programs in the community to maintain strength and balance.
  
• Provide pedometers to encourage walkers to keep track of their mileage.
  

Community/Neighborhood

• Post signs in your neighborhood that remind drivers to slow down and be aware of pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Set up bike repair stands on recreational paths.
• Create advertising campaigns in the community to emphasize the health benefits of walking and biking.

Healthcare

• As a healthcare provider, talk with your patients about choosing biking and walking as a simple way to improve mental and physical health.
• Consider writing prescriptions for walking and biking to improve patients’ mental and physical health.
• Stress the importance of wearing helmets.
• Provide referral system for patients so that they can access further physical activity resources informing them about the health benefits ofwalking and biking.

Worksite

• Offer incentives or rewards to employees or members who walk or bike to work.
• Organize “walking breaks” during the work day or meetings that exceed one hour.
• Hang signs to encourage employees and visitors to use the stairs.
• Provide knowledge activities such as guest speakers, fitness assessments, and informational videos.
• Check with your insurance provider to see if they offer incentives for logging physical activity.

Government/Public Health

• Consider ways to improve public health through public policy.
• Support policy changes that promote active transportation.
• Create publicity events to showcase physical improvements to the built environment such as roadways and bike paths.
• Improve driver education courses to stress the importance of sharing the road and yielding to bicyclists and pedestrians.

All Environments

• Provide changing rooms, showers, and/or lockers for your employees or members.
• Install bicycle racks at your worksite, school, office, or meeting place.
• Suggest and encourage that trips under one mile to be made by walking or biking instead of driving.

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