Introduction

High quality evaluations of new walking and cycling routes are scarce and understanding contextual mechanisms influencing outcomes is limited. Using different types of data we investigate how context is associated with change in use of new and upgraded walking and cycling infrastructure, and the association between infrastructure use and overall physical activity.

Methods

We conducted repeat cross-sectional pre-post analysis of monitoring data from a variety of walking and cycling routes built in 84 locations across the United Kingdom (the Connect2 programme, 2009–2013), using four-day user counts (pre n = 189,250; post n = 319,531), next-to-pass surveys of route users (pre n = 15,641; post n = 20,253), and automatic counter data that generated estimates of total annual users. Using multivariable logistic regression, we identified contextual features associated with 50% increase and doubling of pedestrians, cyclists, and sub-groups of users. We combined insights from monitoring data with longitudinal cohort data (the iConnect study) from residents living near three Connect2 schemes. Residents were surveyed by post at baseline, one-year (n = 1853) and two-year follow-up (n = 1524) to investigate associations between use of the new infrastructure and meeting physical activity guidelines.

Results

The routes were associated with increased use (median increase in cyclists 52%, pedestrians 38%; p < 0.001). Large relative increases were associated with low baseline levels (e.g. odds of doubling cycling were halved for each additional 10,000 annual cyclists at baseline: OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.31, 0.77). Use was associated with meeting physical activity guidelines in both repeat cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses (users vs. non-users after one year, OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.37, 3.21; after two years, OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.37, 2.96).

Conclusions

This examination of use, users, benefit-cost ratios, and physical activity associated with new walking and cycling infrastructure across contexts, using multiple types of data, suggests that building walking and cycling infrastructure could improve population health and reduce inequalities.

中文翻译：

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对全英国新型步行和自行车基础设施进行的自然实验研究：Connect2计划

介绍

缺乏对新的步行和自行车路线的高质量评估，并且对影响结果的背景机制的了解也很有限。使用不同类型的数据，我们研究了上下文如何与新的和升级的步行和骑行基础设施的使用变化以及基础设施使用与整体体育活动之间的关联相关联。

方法

我们使用四天的用户数（pre n = 189,250）对英国境内84个地点（Connect2计划，2009–2013）建立的各种步行和自行车路线的监测数据进行了重复的横截面事后分析。 ；后n = 319,531），路线用户的次通过调查（前n = 15,641；后n = 20,253），以及自动计数器数据，这些数据可生成年度总用户的估算值。使用多变量logistic回归，我们确定了与行人，骑自行车者和用户子组增加50％和增加一倍相关的上下文特征。我们将来自监视数据的见解与来自居住在三个Connect2计划附近的居民的纵向队列数据（iConnect研究）相结合。在基线时对居民进行了邮寄调查，

结果

这些路线与使用量增加相关（骑自行车的人中位数增加52％，行人中位数增加38％； p <0.001）。相对较大的增加与较低的基线水平相关（例如，在基线时，每增加10,000个年度骑自行车的人骑自行车的几率减半：OR 0.52，95％CI 0.31，0.77）。在重复进行的横断面和纵向分析中，使用都应符合体育锻炼的指导原则（一年后使用者与非使用者的比较，OR 2.07，95％CI 1.37，3.21；两年后，OR 2.00，95％CI 1.37， 2.96）。

结论

通过使用多种类型的数据，对跨环境的新型步行和自行车基础设施的使用，用户，收益成本比和体力活动进行了检查，这表明建立步行和自行车基础设施可以改善人口健康并减少不平等现象。