Background Cycling contributes to physical activity and health. Public bicycle share programs (PBSPs) increase population access to bicycles by deploying bicycles at docking stations throughout a ...city. Minimal research has systematically examined the prevalence and correlates of PBSP use. Purpose To determine the prevalence and correlates of use of a new public bicycle share program called BIXI (name merges the word BIcycle and taXI) implemented in May 2009 in Montreal, Canada. Methods A total of 2502 adults were recruited to a telephone survey in autumn 2009 via random-digit dialing according to a stratified random sampling design. The prevalence of BIXI bicycle use was estimated. Multivariate logistic regression allowed for identification of correlates of use. Data analysis was conducted in spring and summer 2010. Results The unweighted mean age of respondents was 47.4 (SD = 16.8) years and 61.4% were female. The weighted prevalence for use of BIXI bicycles at least once was 8.2%. Significant correlates of BIXI bicycle use were having a BIXI docking station within 250 m of home, being aged 18–24 years, being university educated, being on work leave, and using cycling as the primary mode of transportation to work. Conclusions A newly implemented public bicycle share program attracts a substantial fraction of the population and is more likely to attract younger and more educated people who currently use cycling as a primary transportation mode.
Abstract Background Simultaneously advocating for sustainable development and promoting population health seems synergistic but few integrated interventions have been studied. We developed a logic ...model for the Montréal Quartiers 21 Program and assessed awareness of the Program among Montreal residents. Methods We developed a logic model of the Montréal Quartiers 21 Program, which is part of Montreal's Strategic Action Plan towards Sustainable Development and allocates money to community groups to support grassroots health projects for sustainable development. We also did a 20 min online survey of Montreal residents aged 18 years or older to assess their awareness of the Program. Survey participants were randomly selected from a panel recruited by a polling firm. We estimated weighted prevalence of awareness and used logistic regression to identify variables associated with awareness. Findings The two iterations of the Program (in 2005–09, and 2010–13) funded 28 projects for revitalisation of commercial streets, active and public transportation, creating green public and outdoor private spaces, making public spaces safer, calming traffic, promoting urban agriculture, collecting recyclable materials, and increasing quality of rainfall runoff. Of the 1793 respondents with complete data, 6·0% (95% CI 4·5–7·9) could spontaneously recognise the Program and 25·7% (22·8–28·8) could after prompting. Interpretation Interventions, such as the Montréal Quartiers 21 Program can provide feasible projects consistent with principles of sustainable development and public health. However, public awareness of projects is modest. Funding Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
OBJECTIVES:1) To describe grassroots projects aimed at the built environment and associated with active transportation on the Island of Montreal; and 2) to examine associations between the number of ...projects and indicators of neighbourhood material and social deprivation and the built environment.
METHOD:We identified funding agencies and community groups conducting projects on built environments throughout the Island of Montreal. Through website consultation and a snowballing procedure, we inventoried projects that aimed at transforming built environments and that were carried out by community organizations between January 1, 2006, and November 1, 2010. We coded and validated information about project activities and created an interactive map using Geoclip software. Correlational analyses quantified associations between number of projects, neighbourhood characteristics and deprivation.
RESULTS:A total of 134 community organizations were identified, and 183 grassroots projects were inventoried. A large number of projects were aimed at increasing awareness of/improving active or public transportation (n=95), improving road safety (n=84) and enhancing neighbourhood beautification and greening (n=69). The correlation between the presence of projects and the extent of neighbourhood material deprivation was small (Kendall's τ=0.26,p<0.001), but in areas with greater social deprivation there were more projects (Kendall's τ=0.38,p<0.001). Larger numbers of projects were also associated with the presence of more extensive land-use mix (Kendall's τ=0.23,p<0.001) and a greater proportion of road intersections with injured pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicle users (Kendall's τ=0.43,p<0.001).
CONCLUSION:There is significant community mobilization around built environments and active transportation. Investigations of the implementation processes and impacts are warranted.
OBJECTIFS:1) Décrire des projets de proximité axés sur l'environnement bâti et associés au transport actif sur l'île de Montréal; et 2) examiner les associations entre le nombre de projets et les ...indicateurs de défavorisation matérielle et sociale du quartier et de l'environnement bâti.
MÉTHODE:Nous avons identifié les organismes de financement et les groupes communautaires menant des projets portant sur les environnements bâtis sur l'île de Montréal. En consultant leurs sites Web et selon un processus en boule de neige, nous avons répertorié les projets visant à transformer les environnements bâtis exécutés par des organismes communautaires entre le 1erjanvier 2006 et le 1ernovembre 2010. Nous avons codé et validé l'information sur les activités de projet et créé une carte interactive à l'aide du logiciel Geoclip. Des analyses corrélationnelles ont permis de quantifier les associations entre le nombre de projets, les caractéristiques du quartier et la défavorisation.
RÉSULTATS:En tout, 134 organismes communautaires ont été identifiés et 183 projets de proximité répertoriés. Un grand nombre de projets visaient à mieux faire connaître/améliorer le transport actif ou collectif (n=95), à sécuriser les déplacements (n=84) et à rehausser l'esthétisme et le verdissement des quartiers (n=69). La corrélation entre la présence des projets et l'étendue de la défavorisation matérielle du quartier était faible (τ de Kendall=0,26,p<0,001), mais dans les zones plus défavorisées sur le plan social, les projets étaient plus nombreux (τ de Kendall=0,38,p<0,001). La présence de nombreux projets était aussi associée à une plus grande diversité des usages du sol (τ de Kendall=0,23,p<0,001) et à une plus grande proportion d'intersections avec piétons, cyclistes et automobilistes blessés (τ de Kendall=0,43,p<0,001).
CONCLUSION:Il existe une importante mobilisation communautaire autour des environnements bâtis et du transport actif. Ses processus de mise en œuvre et ses impacts méritent d'ětre étudiés plus avant.
This study estimated the modal shift associated with the implementation of a public bicycle share program in Montreal, Canada.
A population-based sample of adults participated in two cross sectional ...telephone surveys. Self-reported travel behaviors were collected at the end of the first (fall 2009) and second (fall 2010) season of implementation. The sample included 2502 (Mean age=47.8 years, 61.8% female), and 2509 (Mean age=48.9 years, 59.0% female) adult respondents in each survey.
The estimated modal shift associated with the implementation of the PBSP from motor vehicle use to walking, cycling, and public transportation was 6483 and 8023 trips in 2009 and 2010. This change represents 0.34% and 0.43% of all motor vehicle trips in Montreal.
The implementation of a PBSP was associated with a shift toward active transportation. The modal shift was complex and not simply the result of a discrete shift from one mode to another. Promotion of active transportation should encourage integration of multiple active transportation modes to better reflect people's actual transportation behaviors.
We examined associations between residential exposure to BIXI (BIcycle-taXI)-a public bicycle share program implemented in Montreal, Quebec, in 2009, which increases accessibility to cycling by ...making available 5050 bicycles at 405 bicycle docking stations-and likelihood of cycling (BIXI and non-BIXI) in Montreal over the first 2 years of implementation.
Three population-based samples of adults participated in telephone surveys. Data collection occurred at the launch of the program (spring 2009), and at the end of the first (fall 2009) and second (fall 2010) seasons of implementation. Difference in differences models assessed whether greater cycling was observed for those exposed to BIXI compared with those not exposed at each time point.
We observed a greater likelihood of cycling for those exposed to the public bicycle share program after the second season of implementation (odds ratio = 2.86; 95% confidence interval = 1.85, 4.42) after we controlled for weather, built environment, and individual variables.
The implementation of a public bicycle share program can lead to greater likelihood of cycling among persons living in areas where bicycles are made available.
Alternative food sources (AFS) such as local markets in disadvantaged areas are promising strategies for preventing chronic disease and reducing health inequalities. The present study assessed how ...sociodemographic characteristics, physical access and fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption are associated with market use in a newly opened F&V market next to a subway station in a disadvantaged neighbourhood.
Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted among adults: (i) on-site, among shoppers who had just bought F&V and (ii) a telephone-based population survey among residents living within 1 km distance from the market.
One neighbourhood in Montreal (Canada) with previously limited F&V offerings.
Respectively, 218 shoppers and 335 residents completed the on-site and telephone-based population surveys.
Among shoppers, 23 % were low-income, 56 % did not consume enough F&V and 54 % did not have access to a car. Among all participants living 1 km from the market (n 472), market usage was associated (OR; 95 % CI) with adequate F&V consumption (1·86; 1·10, 3·16), living closer to the market (for distance: 0·86; 0·76, 0·97), having the market on the commute route (2·77; 1·61, 4·75) and not having access to a car (2·96; 1·67, 5·26).
When implemented in strategic locations such as transport hubs, AFS like F&V markets offer a promising strategy to improve F&V access among populations that may be constrained in their food acquisition practices, including low-income populations and those relying on public transportation.
Abstract Objective This study aimed to estimate the impact of implementing a public bicycle share program (PBSP) on the likelihood of self-reported collisions and near misses between cyclists and ...motor vehicles among cyclists living in Montreal. Methods A repeated cross sectional design was used. Surveys were conducted at the launch of the PBSP, at the end of the first and second seasons of implementation. Logistic regression estimated changes in the likelihood of reporting collisions or near misses. Results There was no evidence of a change in likelihood of reporting a collision or near miss after implementing the PBSP. PBSP users were not at a greater risk of reporting a collision (OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 0.77–3.02) or near miss (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 0.94–1.98), although confidence intervals were wide. The number of days of cycling per week was associated with collisions (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.17–1.39) and near misses (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.26–1.42). Conclusions There was no evidence of a change in the likelihood of reporting collisions or near misses in Montreal between the implementation of the PBSP and the end of the second season. Time spent cycling was associated with reporting a collision or near miss.
Farmers' market implementation holds promise for increasing access to healthy foods. Although rarely measured, purchase data constitute an intermediate outcome between food environment and actual ...consumption. In a study conducted with two seasonal Fruits and Vegetables (FV) stands in a disadvantaged area of Montréal (Canada), we analysed how accessibility, perception, and mobility-related factors were associated with FV purchase. This analysis uses a novel measure of FV purchasing practices based on sales data obtained from a mobile application. A 2016 survey collected information on markets' physical access, perceived access to FV in the neighbourhood, usual FV consumption and purchases. Multivariate models were used to analyse three purchasing practice indicators: number of FV portions, FV variety and expenditures. Average shoppers purchased 12 FV portions of three distinct varieties and spent 5$. Shoppers stopping at the market on their usual travel route spent less (
= 0.11), bought fewer portions (
= 0.03) and a lesser FV variety (
< 0.01). FV stands may complement FV dietary intake. Individuals for whom the market is on their usual travel route might make more frequent visits and, therefore, smaller purchases. The novel data collection method allowed analysis of multiple purchase variables, is precise and easy to apply at unconventional points of sales and could be transposed elsewhere.
Estimating the future state of air quality associated with transport policies and infrastructure investments is key to the development of meaningful transportation and planning decisions. This paper ...describes the design of an integrated transportation and air quality modelling framework capable of simulating traffic emissions and air pollution at a refined spatio-temporal scale. For this purpose, emissions of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) were estimated in the Greater Montreal Region at the level of individual trips and vehicles. In turn, hourly Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) concentrations were simulated across different seasons and validated against observations. Our validation results reveal a reasonable performance of the modelling chain. The modelling system was used to evaluate the impact of an extensive regional transit improvement strategy revealing reductions in NO2 concentrations across the territory by about 3.6% compared to the base case in addition to a decrease in the frequency and severity of NO2 hot spots. This is associated with a reduction in total NOx emissions of 1.9% compared to the base case; some roads experienced reductions by more than half. Finally, a methodology for assessing individuals’ daily exposure is developed (by tracking activity locations and trajectories) and we observed a reduction of 20.8% in daily exposures compared to the base case. The large difference between reductions in the mean NO2 concentration across the study domain and the mean NO2 exposure across the sample population results from the fact that NO2 concentrations dropped largely in the areas which attract the most individuals. This exercise illustrates that evaluating the air quality impacts of transportation scenarios by solely quantifying reductions in air pollution concentrations across the study domain would lead to an underestimation of the potential health gains.
•An integrated transportation, emissions, air quality modelling chain is developed.•Our modelling framework is able to account for the spatio-temporal distribution of NO2.•The modelling framework was used to test the effect of transit investments.•Increased transit service was associated with reductions in population exposure to NO2.
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