Is being active also economic?

The other day, I walked to the bank. On my return home, I decided to try a different route. I ended up going past a little neighbourhood store I hadn't previously seen. I had a lovely conversation with the owner, bought some food I hadn't been planning to buy, took his card, and sent a note around to friends in the area telling them about my find. 

So was my experience part of the economic benefits of active transportation? Have a look at the website for the Population Health Improvement Research Network based at the University of Ottawa. CHNET hosts free weekly fireside chats—aka "webinars". 

Coming up on July 6th is a discussion on the economic benefits of active transportation, described as an important part of the toolbox used to make communities healthy and liveable. 

By the way, part of encouraging active transportation is having a "complete streets" policy that says, in effect, that decisions regarding streets must be inclusive. That means inverting the pyramid and thinking about street usage first from the perspective of pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation.


Okay, here in Oak Bay, we may not be the first to think about this stuff. Turns out that most of the other municipalities in the region—such as Langford, View Royal, Esquimalt, and Saanich—already have a complete streets policy. But we may be able to catch up, if citizens make their voices heard.