The State of Active Transportation in Nova...
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The State of Active Transportation in Nova Scotia August 2014 Prepared for: Bicycle Nova Scotia Prepared by: Levi Megenbir (MPLAN), Naznin Daisy (PhD, Civil), Justin Forbes (MPS), Irin Shamsad (MSC), Cara Wittich (BCD), Sidney Starkman (BCD), and Ahsan Habib, PhD Assistant Professor and Director Dalhousie Transportation Collaboratory (DalTRAC) School of Planning, and Department of Civil and Resource Engineering Room# B105, Dalhousie University, PO Box: 15000 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS Canada, B3H 4R2 Phone: 902-494-3209; Email: [email protected] B3H 4R2, Halifax, NS, Canada
Transcript of The State of Active Transportation in Nova...
The State of Active Transportation
in Nova Scotia
August 2014
Prepared for:
Bicycle Nova Scotia
Prepared by:
Levi Megenbir (MPLAN), Naznin Daisy (PhD, Civil), Justin Forbes
(MPS), Irin Shamsad (MSC), Cara Wittich (BCD), Sidney Starkman
(BCD), and
Ahsan Habib, PhD
Assistant Professor and Director
Dalhousie Transportation Collaboratory (DalTRAC)
School of Planning, and Department of Civil and Resource
Engineering Room# B105, Dalhousie University, PO Box: 15000
1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS Canada, B3H 4R2
Phone: 902-494-3209; Email: [email protected]
B3H 4R2, Halifax, NS, Canada
Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 6
2 Active Transportation for Work Trips ..................................................................................... 8
2.1 Modal Share ..................................................................................................................... 8
2.2 Walking and Cycling for Work Trips by County ................................................................ 9
2.3 Modal Share by Commute Distance ............................................................................... 10
2.4 Average Commute Time by Mode ................................................................................. 12
2.5 Walking and Cycling for Commuting by Gender ............................................................ 14
2.6 Walking and Cycling by Age ........................................................................................... 15
2.7 Potential Demand for Cycling ........................................................................................ 16
3 Active Transportation for All Trip Purposes .......................................................................... 18
3.1 Modal Share for all Trip Purposes .................................................................................. 18
3.2 Walking for All Trip Purposes by Gender ....................................................................... 21
3.3 Walking and Cycling for All Trip Purposes by Age .......................................................... 22
3.4 Walking for All Trip Purposes by Income ....................................................................... 24
4 Active Transportation and Physical Activity ......................................................................... 26
4.1.1 Participation Pattern of Daily Physical Activity ....................................................... 26
4.1.2 Duration of Daily Physical Activities by Type .......................................................... 27
5 Accessibility by Walking and Cycling ..................................................................................... 30
5.1 Food Stores..................................................................................................................... 30
5.2 Public Administration ..................................................................................................... 31
5.3 Health Services ............................................................................................................... 32
5.4 Educational Institutions ................................................................................................. 33
6 Collisions Involving Pedestrians and Cyclists ........................................................................ 35
6.1 Pedestrian-Related Collisions ......................................................................................... 35
6.1.1 Total Collisions ........................................................................................................ 35
6.1.2 Injury Severity ......................................................................................................... 36
6.1.3 Temporal Characteristics ........................................................................................ 36
6.1.4 Personal Characteristics .......................................................................................... 38
6.1.5 Pedestrian Action and Location .............................................................................. 39
6.1.6 Spatial Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions ............................................. 41
6.2 Cyclist-Related Collisions ................................................................................................ 42
6.2.1 Total Collisions ........................................................................................................ 42
6.2.2 Injury Severity ......................................................................................................... 43
6.2.3 Temporal Characteristics ........................................................................................ 43
6.2.4 Personal Characteristics .......................................................................................... 45
6.2.5 Spatial Distribution of Bicycle-Related Collisions ................................................... 46
7 Attitudes Towards Active Transportation ............................................................................. 47
8 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 48
8.1.1 Gaps in Active Transportation Research and Data ................................................. 48
9 Appendix ............................................................................................................................... 50
List of Figures Figure 2-1 Modal Share of Nova Scotia Commuters, 2006 and 2011 ............................................ 8
Figure 2-2 Walking Modal Share for Commuting by County (2011) .............................................. 9
Figure 2-3 Cycling Modal Share for Commuting by County (2011) .............................................. 10
Figure 2-4 Percentage of Total Walking and Cycling Trips by Commute Distance (2011) ........... 11
Figure 2-5 Walking and Cycling Modal Share by Commute Distance (2011) ............................... 11
Figure 2-6 Nova Scotia Average Commute Time by Mode (2011) ............................................... 12
Figure 2-7 Percentage of Total Walking and Cycling Trips by Commute Time (2011) ................. 13
Figure 2-8 Walking and Cycling Modal Share by Commute Time (2011) ..................................... 13
Figure 2-9 Percentage of Walking and Cycling Trips for Commuting by Gender (2011) .............. 14
Figure 2-10 Walking and Cycling Modal Share for Commuting by Gender (2011) ...................... 14
Figure 2-11 Percentage of Total Walking and Cycling Trips for Commuting by Age (2011) ........ 15
Figure 2-12 Walking and Cycling Modal Share for Commuting by Age (2011) ............................ 16
Figure 3-1 Modal Share by All Trip Purposes (2010) .................................................................... 19
Figure 3-2 Percentage of Active Transportation Trips Made by Walking and Cycling (by Trip
Purpose, 2010) .............................................................................................................................. 20
Figure 3-3 Trend for Walking and Cycling Modal Shares (by All Trip Purposes, 1992-2010) ....... 20
Figure 3-4 Walking Participation by Gender (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) .................................. 21
Figure 3-5 Average Number of Daily Walking Trips by Gender (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) ..... 22
Figure 3-6 Average Walking Duration by Gender (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) .......................... 22
Figure 3-7 Walking Participation by Age (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) ........................................ 23
Figure 3-8 Average Number of Daily Walking Trips by Age (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) ........... 23
Figure 3-9 Average Walking Duration by Age (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) ................................ 24
Figure 3-10 Walking Participation by Income Group (for All Trip Purposes, 2010) ..................... 24
Figure 3-11 Average Number of Daily Walking Trips by Income (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) ... 25
Figure 3-12 Average Walking Duration by Income (For All Trip Purposes, 2010) ........................ 25
Figure 4-1 Participation Pattern in Daily Physical Activities ......................................................... 26
Figure 4-2 Percentage of Daily Participation in Different Types of Physical Activities................. 27
Figure 4-3 Average Duration of Physical Activity .......................................................................... 28
Figure 4-4 Duration of Daily Physical Activities for Different Types of Physical Activities ........... 28
Figure 4-5 Active Transportation’s Contribution to Total Physical Activity Duration .................. 29
Figure 5-1 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest
Food Stores ................................................................................................................................... 30
Figure 5-2 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Food Stores ................................................. 31
Figure 5-3 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest
Public Administration .................................................................................................................... 31
Figure 5-4 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Public Administration Services ................... 32
Figure 5-5 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest
Health Services .............................................................................................................................. 32
Figure 5-6 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Health Services............................................ 33
Figure 5-7 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest
Educational Institutions ................................................................................................................ 34
Figure 5-8 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Educational Institutions .............................. 34
Figure 6-1 Total Pedestrian-Related Collisions by Year ................................................................ 35
Figure 6-2 Injury Severity of Pedestrians Involved in Collisions ................................................... 36
Figure 6-3 Time of Day Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions ......................................... 37
Figure 6-4 Day of Week Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions ........................................ 37
Figure 6-5 Monthly Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions ............................................... 38
Figure 6-6 Age and Gender of Pedestrians Involved in Collisions ................................................ 38
Figure 6-7 Pedestrian Location at Time of Collision ..................................................................... 39
Figure 6-8 Pedestrian Action at Time of Collision ......................................................................... 40
Figure 6-9 Spatial Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions .................................................. 41
Figure 6-10 Total Cyclist-Related Collisions by Year ..................................................................... 42
Figure 6-11 Injury Severity of Cyclists Involved in Collisions ........................................................ 43
Figure 6-12 Monthly Distribution of Cyclist-Related Collisions .................................................... 44
Figure 6-13 Day of Week Distribution of Bicycle-Related Collisions ............................................ 44
Figure 6-14 Time of Day Distribution of Cyclist-Related Collisions .............................................. 45
Figure 6-15 Age and Gender of Cyclists Involved in Collisions ..................................................... 45
Figure 6-16 Spatial Distribution of Bicycle-Related Collisions ...................................................... 46
Figure 7-1 Attitudes of HMTS Respondents ................................................................................. 47
List of Tables
Table 2-1 Change in Modal Share for Work Trips (2006-2011) ...................................................... 9
Table 2-2 Potential Demand for Cycling ....................................................................................... 17
Table 3-1 Modal Share by Trip Purpose (2010) ............................................................................ 19
1 Introduction
Promoting active transportation has become an important strategy for addressing many
current issues such as global warming, non-renewable energy dependence, and obesity. The
province of Nova Scotia has put a strong emphasis on promoting active transportation with the
release of its Thrive Strategy (2010) and its Sustainable Transportation Strategy (2013). The
Thrive Strategy seeks generally to improve the health of Nova Scotians, with a key objective of
increasing physical activity through active transportation. The Sustainable Transportation
Strategy 2013 complements the Thrive Strategy by identifying a number of specific policies
designed to increase active transportation in Nova Scotia.
Currently, there is limited active transportation data compiled at the provincial level in Nova
Scotia. Without appropriate data, Nova Scotia cannot understand the effectiveness of its
policies towards meeting its active transportation goals. In this report, the Dalhousie
Transportation Collaboratory (DalTRAC) presents active transportation patterns and trends in
the Province of Nova Scotia. The study builds upon the research DalTRAC conducted in the last
two years for benchmarking and tracking progress in all aspects of transportation sustainability.
This report however highlights major findings specific to active transportation. The report also
identifies major data gaps, and provides recommendations for future data collection. The
remainder of the introduction outlines several key patterns and trends for active transportation
in Nova Scotia:
WORK TRIPS
Active transportation accounts for a small, declining percentage of total work trips in
Nova Scotia
Active transportation is used mostly for short work trips, both relating to commuting
time and distance
Percentage share of male cyclists is higher than females. On the other hand, females
walk more than males in Nova Scotia.
ALL TRIP PURPOSES
Active transportation is used least for work trips and most for education and household
work related trips in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotians with higher income tend to take fewer, longer walking trips than lower
income Nova Scotians
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Both physical activity and active transportation participation and duration have
decreased since 1998
Active transportation’s share of total physical activity duration has primarily decreased
since 1986.
ACCESSIBILITY
A high percentage of Nova Scotian households are within feasible walking and cycling
distances of major services
Active transportation accessibility is lower for institutions and services with larger
catchment areas
COLLISIONS
Collisions involving pedestrians are much more common than collisions involving cyclists
The majority of pedestrian collisions occur in late fall and early winter, and the majority
of cyclist collisions occur in summer and fall.
Collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists are most likely to occur on weekdays during
working hours
Males are considerably more likely to be involved in cyclist-related collisions
ATTITUDES
In Halifax, survey respondents demonstrate positive attitudes towards active
transportation
MAJOR DATA GAPS
Trip-related information to assess the state of active transportation is limited in national
surveys
Modal share and trip attributes of non-work trips (for which active transportation seems
more viable) is almost absent in third-party datasets
Disaggregate analysis is most challenging for active transportation in case of Public Use
Micro Data due to small sample size
DATA RECOMMENDATION
A regular, standardized provincial data collection program should be a priority for
tracking progress for transportation sustainability
Building a culture of using travel data/information for policy analysis is necessary
Municipalities should begin conducting travel surveys to inform transportation
investment plans, specifically active transportation.
2 Active Transportation for Work Trips
This section considers the walking and cycling trends for work trips in Nova Scotia using the
2006 Census and the 2011 National Household Survey. In Nova Scotia, the share of work trips
made by active transportation decreased between 2006 and 2011. Walking and cycling for work
trips in Nova Scotia varies with a number of factors including geographic location, trip distance,
commute time, gender, age, and income.
2.1 Modal Share
Presently, there is a small, declining percentage of Nova Scotians who commute to work using
active transportation. In 2011, only 7.5% of Nova Scotians commuted using active
transportation, which is a notable decline from the 9% of Nova Scotians who commuted using
active transportation in 2006 (Figure 2-1). This decrease in active transportation is due to
reductions in walking, since the modal share of cycling stayed relatively constant at 0.7%
between 2006 and 2011. Table 2-1 presents the changes in Nova Scotia’s modal share for work
trips compared to the Canadian average and other Canadian provinces.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 and 2011
Figure 2-1 Modal Share of Nova Scotia Commuters, 2006 and 2011
72.8%
10.8%
5.9%
8.2%
0.7% 1.6%
2006
Auto driver Auto passenger
Public transit Walked
Bicycle Other
76.7%
7.9%
6.6%
6.8%
0.7% 1.3%
2011
Auto driver Auto passenger
Public transit Walked
Bicycle Other
Table 2-1 Change in Modal Share for Work Trips (2006-2011)
Province Auto Driver
Auto Passenger
Public Transit
Walked Bicycle Other
Canadian Average 1.71% -2.07% 1.01% -0.66% -0.02% 0.03%
Alberta 2.15% -2.27% 1.28% -0.97% -0.08% -0.11%
British Columbia -0.30% -2.14% 2.29% -0.23% 0.15% 0.23%
Manitoba 1.43% -1.45% 0.28% -0.62% 0.13% 0.23%
New Brunswick 4.22% -2.55% 0.24% -1.31% -0.17% -0.43%
Newfoundland and Labrador 5.60% -3.62% 0.40% -1.46% -0.10% -0.82%
Nova Scotia 3.91% -2.97% 0.66% -1.36% 0.02% -0.28%
Ontario 1.54% -2.15% 1.07% -0.50% -0.02% 0.06%
Prince Edward Island 3.53% -2.53% 0.82% -1.26% -0.40% -0.16%
Quebec 1.99% -1.78% 0.52% -0.71% -0.05% 0.02%
Saskatchewan 2.15% -1.13% 0.58% -1.37% -0.31% 0.08%
2.2 Walking and Cycling for Work Trips by County
Walking and cycling for work trips varies considerably between the counties in Nova Scotia
(Figure 2-2, Figure 2-3). Halifax County has the highest walking and cycling modal share for
work trips compared to the other Nova Scotian counties.
Figure 2-2 Walking Modal Share for Commuting by County (2011)
3.6%
3.8%
4.3%
4.5%
4.7%
4.8%
4.8%
4.9%
5.1%
5.3%
5.4%
6.0%
6.3%
6.4%
7.0%
7.0%
8.4%
8.5%
0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9%
Hants
Richmond
Pictou
Lunenburg
Digby
Queens
Yarmouth
Shelburne
Colchester
Guysborough
Cape Breton
Kings
Annapolis
Inverness
Cumberland
Victoria
Antigonish
Halifax
Modal Share
Co
un
ty
Figure 2-3 Cycling Modal Share for Commuting by County (2011)
2.3 Modal Share by Commute Distance
Overall, the use of active transportation in Nova Scotia is higher for shorter commuting trips.
For example, the majority (81%) of all commuter walking trips are shorter than 3km in distance,
with 41% being shorter than 1km. Further, the majority (78%) of all commuter cycling trips are
less than 5km in distance, with 50% occurring within commuting distances of 1 to 3km (Figure
2-4). The trends for walking and cycling modal shares by commuting distance (Figure 2-5) are
very similar to the trends in the percentage of total walking and cycling trips by commuting
distance (Figure 2-4). However, Figure 2-5 reveals that walking is a more popular form of active
transportation than cycling at almost all commuting distances.
According to the 2011 National Household Survey, approximately 7% of all Nova Scotian
residents commute less than 1km and 35% commute less than 5km. Given that feasible walking
and cycling distances are often described as being under 1km and 5km respectively, these
results show great opportunity for increasing commuting by active transportation in Nova
Scotia.
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.1%
0.1%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.3%
0.3%
0.4%
0.9%
1.1%
0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9%
Richmond
Digby
Queens
Shelburne
Guysborough
Inverness
Victoria
Pictou
Hants
Cape Breton
Yarmouth
Antigonish
Lunenburg
Cumberland
Colchester
Annapolis
Kings
Halifax
Modal Share
Co
un
ty
Figure 2-4 Percentage of Total Walking and Cycling Trips by Commute Distance (2011)
Figure 2-5 Walking and Cycling Modal Share by Commute Distance (2011)
42% 39%
6% 2% 2% 3% 3% 2% 1%
0% 1%
13%
50%
15%
6% 4%
7%
1% 0% 0% 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Less than 1km
1 to 2.9km
3 to 4.9km
5 to 6.9km
7 to 9.9km
10 to 14.9km
15 to 19.9km
20 to 24.9km
25 to 29.9km
30 to 34.9km
35km +
Walking Cycling
39.3%
16.9%
3.2% 1.6% 1.5% 1.6% 1.8% 1.7% 2.2% 0.9%
4.9%
1.2% 2.2% 0.9%
0.5% 0.3% 0.4% 0.2% 0.2% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
<1 1 to 2.9 3 to 4.9 5 to 6.9 7 to 9.9 10 to 14.9
15 to 19.9
20 to 24.9
25 to 29.9
30 to 34.9
35+
Mo
dal
Sh
are
Commuting Distance (km)
Walked Bicycle
2.4 Average Commute Time by Mode
On average, those commuting by active transportation have shorter commutes than those
commuting by other modes, with walking commuters having by far the shortest average
commuting times (Figure 2-6). General trends in active transportation use by commuting time
are similar to the trends by commuting distance, with the percentage of total walking and
cycling trips declining as commuting times increase (Figure 2-7). This declining trend is also true
for Nova Scotia’s walking modal share, but Nova Scotia’s cycling modal share does not follow a
consistent trend with respect to commuting time (Figure 2-8).
Figure 2-6 Nova Scotia Average Commute Time by Mode (2011)
21.1 20.8
36.1
13.2
20.7
28.1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Auto Driver Auto Passenger Public Transit Walked Bicycle Other
Ave
rage
Co
mm
ute
Tim
e (M
in)
Mode
Figure 2-7 Percentage of Total Walking and Cycling Trips by Commute Time (2011)
Figure 2-8 Walking and Cycling Modal Share by Commute Time (2011)
58%
31%
8%
2% 1%
37% 38%
14%
9%
3%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
<15 Minutes 15 to 29 Minutes 30 to 44 Minutes 45 to 59 Minutes 60+ Minutes
Per
cen
tage
of
Tota
l Wal
kin
g an
d B
icyc
le T
rip
s
Commuting Time
Walked Bicycle
11.1%
5.9%
3.1% 2.3%
1.5% 0.7% 0.7% 0.5%
1.0% 0.4% 0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
<15 Minutes 15 to 29 Minutes 30 to 44 Minutes 45 to 59 Minutes 60+ Minutes
Mo
dal
Sh
are
Time
Walked Bicycle
2.5 Walking and Cycling for Commuting by Gender
In Nova Scotia, percentage share of male cyclists is higher than females. On the other hand,
females walk more than males (Figure 2-9, Figure 2-10). These results are consistent with other
North American cities, with women often being less willing to cycle without the presence of
proper cycling infrastructure.
Figure 2-9 Percentage of Walking and Cycling Trips for Commuting by Gender (2011)
Figure 2-10 Walking and Cycling Modal Share for Commuting by Gender (2011)
46%
54%
Walking
Male Female
6.3%
0.9%
7.4%
0.4%
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
8%
Walked Bicycle
Mo
dal
Sh
are
Mode
Male Female
69%
31%
Cycling
Male Female
2.6 Walking and Cycling by Age
There are considerable differences in active transportation commuting trends by age in Nova
Scotia. For example, Nova Scotians between the ages of 25 and 44 take the highest percentage
and Nova Scotians over 65 years old take the lowest percentage of total walking and cycling
trips for work commutes (Figure 2-11). Although walking is used more than cycling for
commuting by all age groups, Nova Scotians between the ages of 15 and 24 have the highest
walking modal share, and Nova Scotians between the ages of 25 and 44 have the highest cycling
modal share (Figure 2-12). An interesting result is that the walking mode share increases
substantially between the 45 to 64 years old and the 65 years and over age categories. This
result could be caused by a number of factors including a reduction in the number of individuals
capable of safely driving within the latter age category.
Figure 2-11 Percentage of Total Walking and Cycling Trips for Commuting by Age (2011)
26%
38%
33%
4%
Walking
15 to 24 years 25 to 44 years
45 to 64 years 65 years and over
15%
53%
31%
2%
Cycling
15 to 24 years 25 to 44 years
45 to 64 years 65 years and over
Figure 2-12 Walking and Cycling Modal Share for Commuting by Age (2011)
2.7 Potential Demand for Cycling
The table below (Table 2-2) describes the potential demand for cycling in Nova Scotia and a
number of smaller regions within Nova Scotia. First, we assumed that any commuting trips less
than 5km are feasible for cycling. Secondly, we determine the proportion of Nova Scotian
commuters that live within 5km. Third, we then use the median commuting distance to
determine the corresponding bicycle commute time for cycling, assuming a conservative
average cycling speed. The analysis reveals that 35.4% of Nova Scotians live within a 34 minute
cycling commute (although 20.7 minutes is the current average cycling commute time in Nova
Scotia). Given that the existing cycling mode share is only 0.7%, these figures show the
significant potential for increased cycling in the Province.
13.8%
6.9%
5.6%
9.0%
0.8% 1.0% 0.5% 0.4%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
15 to 24 years 25 to 44 years 45 to 64 years 65 years and over
Mo
dal
Sp
lit
Age
Walked Bicycle
Table 2-2 Potential Demand for Cycling
Geography Median Commuting
Distance (km)
Total Commuters
Number of Commuters Within 5km
Existing Bicycle Mode
Share (%)
% Total Commuters within 5 km
Bicycle Commute
Time (minutes)1
Canada 7.6 13,069,895 4,741,630 1.3 36.3 30.4
Nova Scotia 8.4 354,235 125,510 0.7 35.4 33.6
Halifax 6.5 166,980 68,085 1.0 40.8 26.0
Kentville 7.1 10,200 3,950 0.5 38.7 28.4
Truro 6 17,250 7,495 0.6 43.4 24.0
New Glasgow 5.2 14,150 6,770 0.4 47.8 20.8
Cape Breton 5.9 33,300 15,080 0.2 45.3 23.6 1Assuming a conservative average cycling speed of 15 km/h
Source: Statistics Canada, 2006
3 Active Transportation for All Trip Purposes
Where the previous section considers active transportation for work trips only, this section
considers active transportation for all trip purposes in Nova Scotia. This section uses data from
the General Social Surveys which were conducted by Statistics Canada between 1986 and 2010.
In Nova Scotia, the use of active transportation is highest for education and household work
related trips, and, similar to work commuting trends, the use of active transportation for all trip
purposes is also decreasing over time. Additionally, the characteristics of walking trips for all
trip purposes vary by gender, age, and income.
3.1 Modal Share for all Trip Purposes
Presently, active transportation accounts for less than 13% of all trips in Nova Scotia, with
approximately 12% of trips made by walking and less than 1% of trips made by cycling (Figure
3-1). Table 3-1 shows the breakdown of modal share by various travel purposes. It is interesting
that the modal share of active transportation is the lowest for work trips in Nova Scotia, but
highest for school and education trips and for household work related trips. Figure 3-2 expands
upon the information in Table 3-1 by displaying the percentage of total active transportation
trips made by walking and cycling for each trip purpose. This figure shows that, for most trip
purposes, walking accounts for the vast majority (≥90%) of all active transportation trips, with
cycling only accounting for 10% or more of active transportation trips within the school,
shopping, and sport/hobby travel purpose categories (Figure 3-2).
The trends in active transportation for all trip purposes are similar to active transportation
trends for commuting (Figure 2-1). For example, Figure 3-3 shows that the modal shares of
walking and cycling for all trip purposes have generally been decreasing between 1992 and
2010. However, contrary to this general trend, there seems to have been a sizeable increase in
the cycling modal share for all trip purposes between 2005 and 2010.
Figure 3-1 Modal Share by All Trip Purposes (2010)
Table 3-1 Modal Share by Trip Purpose (2010)
Trip Purpose
Auto Driver
Auto Passenger
Walk Bicycle Public Transit
Other
Mandatory* Work 73.9%
6.3% 8.2% 0.4% 9.7% 1.6%
School & education
31.5% 20.4% 25.9% 3.7% 16.7% 1.9%
Maintenance* Household Work & Related Activities
44.0% 4.0% 36.0% 0.0% 8.0% 8.0%
Care Giving for Household Members
82.6% 5.3% 9.2% 0.0% 2.4% 0.5%
Shopping for Goods & Services
73.9% 14.0% 8.6% 1.0% 1.7% 0.7%
Personal Care 55.8% 20.8% 17.0% 0.7% 1.4% 4.2%
Discretionary* Organization, Religious & Voluntary Activity
70.2% 14.9% 11.7% 0.0% 1.1% 2.1%
Entertainment 60.8% 17.7% 16.9% 0.4% 2.3% 1.9%
Sports & Hobbies 60.9% 16.3% 14.4% 2.0% 0.0% 6.4%
Media & Communication
57.1% 14.3% 21.4% 0.0% 7.1% 0.0%
*See Appendix A for definitions of mandatory, maintenance, and discretionary activities
68.0%
13.4%
12.1%
0.7% 3.7% 2.0%
Auto Driver Auto Passenger Walk Bicycle Public Transit Other
Figure 3-2 Percentage of Active Transportation Trips Made by Walking and Cycling (by Trip Purpose, 2010)
Figure 3-3 Trend for Walking and Cycling Modal Shares (by All Trip Purposes, 1992-2010)
96%
88%
100% 100%
90% 96%
100% 98%
88%
100%
4%
13% 10% 4% 2%
12%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100% P
erce
nta
ge o
f To
tal A
ctiv
e Tr
ansp
ort
atio
n T
rip
s
Trip Purpose
% of AT trips by Walking % of AT Trips by Bicycle
17.1 17.6
14.3
12.1
0.46 0.18 0.05 0.74
0 2 4 6 8
10 12 14 16 18 20
1992 1998 2005 2010
Mo
dal
Sp
lit (
%)
Year
Walk Bicycle
3.2 Walking for All Trip Purposes by Gender
Figure 3-4 shows the percentage of male and female Nova Scotians that participated in at least
one walking trip on a typical day, Figure 3-5 presents the average number of daily walking trips
for walking participants by gender, and Figure 3-6 depicts the average duration of a walking trip
for walking participants by gender. Like the results for commuting in Nova Scotia (Figure 2-9),
an average female is more likely to participate in at least one walking trip every day (Figure
3-4), and to participate in more average daily walking trips than an average male (Figure 3-5).
However, an average male Nova Scotian is likely to take longer walking trips than an average
female Nova Scotian (Figure 3-6).
Figure 3-4 Walking Participation by Gender (For All Trip Purposes, 2010)
30%
40%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Male Female
Per
cen
tage
of
Mal
e o
r Fe
mal
e R
esp
on
den
ts
Gender
Figure 3-5 Average Number of Daily Walking Trips by Gender (For All Trip Purposes, 2010)
Figure 3-6 Average Walking Duration by Gender (For All Trip Purposes, 2010)
3.3 Walking and Cycling for All Trip Purposes by Age
In Nova Scotia, walking participation, the average number of daily walking trips, and the
average duration of walking trips all vary by age. For all trip purposes, the trends in walking
participation and the number of daily walking trips by age are similar (Figure 3-7, Figure 3-8) but
vary from walking trends for work trips by age (Figure 2-12). Further, the average duration of
each walking trip generally decreases with age (Figure 3-9).
2.3
2.6
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
Male Female
Ave
rage
Nu
mb
er o
f D
aily
Wal
kin
g Tr
ips
(Fo
r W
alki
ng
Par
tici
pan
ts)
Gender
10.3 9.9
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Male Female
Ave
rage
Per
-Tri
p W
alki
ng
Du
rati
on
(M
inu
tes)
Gender
Figure 3-7 Walking Participation by Age (For All Trip Purposes, 2010)
Figure 3-8 Average Number of Daily Walking Trips by Age (For All Trip Purposes, 2010)
45% 52%
34% 26%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
15 to 29 years 30 to 39 years 40 to 64 years 65 & Above
Per
cen
tage
of
Res
po
nd
ents
(W
ith
in E
ach
A
ge C
ateg
ory
)
Age
2.4
3.4
2.4 2.2
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
15 to 29 years 30 to 39 years 40 to 64 years 65 & Above
Ave
rage
Nu
mb
er o
f D
aily
Wal
kin
g Tr
ips
(Fo
r W
alki
ng
Par
tici
pan
ts)
Age
Figure 3-9 Average Walking Duration by Age (For All Trip Purposes, 2010)
3.4 Walking for All Trip Purposes by Income
In Nova Scotia, walking participation, the average number of daily walking trips, and the
average duration of walking trips all vary with income. Both walking participation and the
average number of daily walking trips decrease with income (Figure 3-10, Figure 3-11). Per-trip
walking duration changes with income, but it does not follow a consistent trend (Figure 3-12).
Figure 3-10 Walking Participation by Income Group (for All Trip Purposes, 2010)
13.4
8.6
10.0 9.0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
15 to 29 years 30 to 39 years 40 to 64 years 65 & Above
Ave
rage
Per
-Tri
p W
alki
ng
Du
rati
on
(M
inu
tes)
Age
52%
37% 40%
31% 30%
19%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Less than $10,000
$10,000 to $19,999
$20,000 to $39,999
$40,000 to $59,999
$60,000 to $79,999
Above $80,000
Per
cen
tage
of
Res
po
nd
ents
(W
ith
in E
ach
In
com
e C
ateg
ory
)
Respondent Annual Income
Figure 3-11 Average Number of Daily Walking Trips by Income (For All Trip Purposes, 2010)
Figure 3-12 Average Walking Duration by Income (For All Trip Purposes, 2010)
3.1
2.3
2.6 2.4
2.2
1.6
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Less than $10,000
$10,000 to $19,999
$20,000 to $39,999
$40,000 to $59,999
$60,000 to $79,999
Above $80,000
Ave
rage
Nu
mb
er o
f D
aily
Wal
kin
g Tr
ips
(Fo
r W
alki
ng
Par
tici
pan
ts)
Respondent Annual Income
9.2 9.1
12.6
9.4
5.7
9.8
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Less than $10,000
$10,000 to $19,999
$20,000 to $39,999
$40,000 to $59,999
$60,000 to $79,999
Above $80,000
Ave
rage
Per
-Tri
p W
alki
ng
Du
rati
on
(M
inu
tes)
Respondent Annual Income
4 Active Transportation and Physical Activity
This section considers physical activity and active transportation for all trip purposes in Nova
Scotia using data from Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey (conducted between 1986 and
2010). One benefit of active transportation is its link with physical activity and health. Nova
Scotia’s THRIVE strategy seeks to use this link to improve health for Nova Scotians by promoting
active transportation. Consequently, data on active transportation and physical activity is
important for tracking progress. In Nova Scotia, both the participation and duration of active
transportation and physical activity have been decreasing since 1998, and the contribution of
active transportation to total physical activity has generally been decreasing since 1986.
4.1.1 Participation Pattern of Daily Physical Activity
In Nova Scotia, the participation in physical activity has decreased since 1998, with only 44% of
Nova Scotians participating in at least one daily physical activity in 2010 (Figure 4-1). Figure 4-2
shows the percentage of Nova Scotians that participate daily in at least one physical activity
within the in-home, out-of-home, and active transportation activity categories over time. Since
1986, there has been an overall increase in in-home and out-of-home physical activity
participation and a decrease in active transportation participation. That being said,
participation in out-of-home physical activities peaked in 1998 and has decreased notably since
then.
Figure 4-1 Participation Pattern in Daily Physical Activities
36.3 46.6 51.9 47.5 44.2
63.7 53.4 48.1 52.5 55.8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1986 1992 1998 2005 2010
Per
cen
tage
of
Res
po
nd
ents
(%
)
Year
No Physical Activity Participation rate of Physical Activity
Figure 4-2 Percentage of Daily Participation in Different Types of Physical Activities
4.1.2 Duration of Daily Physical Activities by Type
The average duration of physical activities has been decreasing since 1998, and the latest
average from 2010 is 43.66 minutes per day (Figure 4-3). This decreasing duration of physical
activities is the result of less time spent on in-home physical activities since 2005, and out-of-
home physical activities and active transportation since 1998 (Figure 4-4). Finally, except for a
marginal increase between 2005 and 2010, the contribution of active transportation to total
physical activity duration has been decreasing since 1986 (Figure 4-5).
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011
Per
cen
tage
of
Res
po
nd
ents
(%
)
Year
In Home Out Home Active Travel
Figure 4-3 Average Duration of Physical Activity
Figure 4-4 Duration of Daily Physical Activities for Different Types of Physical Activities
39
46
56 55
44
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1986 1992 1998 2005 2010
Ave
rage
Du
rati
on
(M
inu
tes)
Year
Physical Activity
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011
Du
rati
on
(M
inu
tes)
Year
In Home Out Home Active Travel
Figure 4-5 Active Transportation’s Contribution to Total Physical Activity Duration
39.1%
14.9% 14.4%
11.4% 11.5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
1986 1992 1998 2005 2010
Per
cen
tage
of
Tota
l Ph
ysic
al A
ctiv
ity
Du
rati
on
Year
Duration of Active Transportation
5 Accessibility by Walking and Cycling
Where subsection 2.3 examines only workplace accessibility, this section considers the
accessibility of food stores, public administration services, health care services, and educational
institutions by walking and cycling in Nova Scotia. This section uses average network distances
which were calculated in ArcGIS (using census data and the Nova Scotia “points of interest”
data from DTMI Spatial) for representing walking and cycling accessibility. Overall, a large
portion of these services are feasibly accessible by walking and cycling in Nova Scotia. In
general, service providers with bigger catchment areas (ie. larger or more specialized) tend to
be less accessible by active transportation than service providers with smaller catchment areas.
5.1 Food Stores
Figure 5-1 demonstrates that 39% of households are accessible to food stores by walking
(within 1 km) and 70% of households are accessible to food stores by cycling (within 5 km).
Figure 5-2 depicts accessibility using smaller distance bands which provides a more detailed
picture of food access by active transportation.
Figure 5-1 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest Food Stores
39%
70%
84%
97%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1 km 5 km 10 km 25 km
Perc
enta
ge o
f H
ousehold
s
Figure 5-2 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Food Stores
5.2 Public Administration
As demonstrated in Figure 5-3, 36% of households are accessible to public administration
services by walking (within 1 km) and approximately 67% of households are accessible to public
administration services by cycling (within 5 km). Although there are fewer households within
walking distance of public administration services than food stores, Figure 5-4 and Figure 5-2
show an equal distribution of households within the “cycling only” active transportation
distance bands (2-5km) for both food stores and public administration services.
Figure 5-3 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest Public Administration
39%
15%
7% 5% 4%
14%
7% 4% 2% 2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
0--1 1--2 2--3 3--4 4--5 5--10 10--15 15--20 20--25 >25
Per
cen
tage
of
Ho
use
ho
lds
Closest Distance (Km)
36%
67%
78%
93%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1 km 5 km 10 km 25 km
Perc
en
tag
e o
f H
ou
seh
old
s
Public Administration
Figure 5-4 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Public Administration Services
5.3 Health Services
This subsection compares the accessibility of several health service categories in Nova Scotia
(Figure 5-5). Although all health service categories have similar accessibility within “cycling
only” active transportation distances (2-5km), the offices and clinics of physicians and dentists
are notably more accessible by walking (less than 1km) than other health service types. Figure
5-6 represents a more detailed measure of health accessibility using smaller distance bands.
Figure 5-5 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest Health Services
36%
15%
7% 5% 4%
11% 7%
5% 3% 7%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
0--1 1--2 2--3 3--4 4--5 5--10 10--15 15--20 20--25 >25
Pe
rce
nta
ge o
f H
ou
seh
old
s
Closest Distance (km)
Public Administration
28% 11% 12%
24% 12%
31%
32% 31%
33%
30%
13%
18% 10%
12%
12%
19% 26%
23%
17%
23%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
100%
Offices And Clinics Of Physicians
General Medical And
Surgical Hospitals
Home Health Care Services
Offices And Clinics Of Dentists
Offices Of Optometrists
Perc
enta
ge o
f H
ousehold
s
Health Services
10 to 25 km
5 to 10 km
1 to 5 km
<1 km
Figure 5-6 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Health Services
5.4 Educational Institutions
This subsection compares the accessibility of several educational institution categories in Nova
Scotia (Figure 5-7). The active transportation accessibility of educational institutions seems to
increase with the level of education, with elementary schools being the most accessible and
colleges and universities being the least accessible. This makes sense given that the catchment
area of schools tends to increase with education level. Figure 5-8 represents a more detailed
measure of education accessibility using smaller distance bands.
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
0--1 1--2 2--3 3--4 4--5 5--10 10--15 15--20 20--25 >25
Perc
enta
ge o
f H
ousehold
s
Closest Distance (km)
Health Services
Offices And Clinics Of Physicians General Medical And Surgical Hospitals Home Health Care Services Offices And Clinics Of Dentists Offices Of Optometrists
Figure 5-7 Percentages of Households Living within 1 Km, 5 Km, 10 km and 25 Km of the Closest Educational Institutions
Figure 5-8 Proximity of Households to the Nearest Educational Institutions
27% 17% 15% 13% 11%
40%
37% 38% 31% 34%
15%
12% 13%
11% 17%
14%
21% 19%
21% 24%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Elementary schools
Secondary schools High schools College and university
Libraries
Perc
enta
ge o
f H
ousehold
s
10 to 25 km 5 to 10 km 1 to 5 km <1 km
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
0--1 1--2 2--3 3--4 4--5 5--10 10--15 15--20 20--25 >25
Perc
enta
ge o
f H
ousehold
s
Closest Distance (km)
Elementary Schools Secondary Schools High Schools Colllege and University Libraries
6 Collisions Involving Pedestrians and Cyclists
This section provides a detailed overview of collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists in Nova Scotia using data from the SNSMR Collision Records. Injuries and deaths from collisions impact the health outcomes of transportation choices. Understanding the incidence of injury and death from active transportation is particularly important given Nova Scotia’s goal within the THRIVE strategy to improve health through active transportation promotion. Further, understanding the causes of collisions can lead to future collision mitigation. This is important because the perception of safety can have an impact on mode choice (and the resulting perceived desirability of commuting by active transportation). In Nova Scotia, collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists are most likely to occur on weekdays during working hours. Overall, there are far more pedestrian-related collisions than cyclist-related collisions in Nova Scotia, and cyclist-related collisions are more likely to occur during summer and fall, whereas pedestrian-related collisions are more likely to occur in the late fall and early winter. This section also considers the demographics of pedestrians and cyclists involved in collisions and the causes of pedestrian and cyclist collisions.
6.1 Pedestrian-Related Collisions
6.1.1 Total Collisions
From 2007 to 2011, there were 1567 collisions involving 1751 pedestrians. While collisions
involving pedestrians have remained relatively stable, the total annual number of actual
pedestrians involved in collisions has been increasing between 2007 and 2011.
Figure 6-1 Total Pedestrian-Related Collisions by Year
291 309
277
355 335
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
6.1.2 Injury Severity
The figure below shows the injury severity of pedestrians involved in collisions. Many collisions
resulted in minor injuries (26%), but a large portion resulted in moderate injuries (50%). The
greater likelihood of pedestrians sustaining more severe injuries may be due to their higher
vulnerability relative to other road users (i.e., auto-drivers and auto-passengers).
Figure 6-2 Injury Severity of Pedestrians Involved in Collisions
6.1.3 Temporal Characteristics
Pedestrian-related collisions occurred most frequently between 2PM to 3PM and 5PM to 6PM
(Figure 6-3). The apparent peak represented in the 12AM to 1AM time group may be
misrepresented. It is believed that the time variable in the raw data defaults to 12AM when no data
is entered. Pedestrian-related collisions occur more frequently on weekdays compared to weekend
days, which is likely attributed to higher numbers of pedestrian commuters during the workweek
(Figure 6-4). This trend is consistent with the time of day variable, as most collisions occur during
the workday hours (Figure 6-5). The frequency of pedestrian-related collisions is higher in the
winter months, particularly between November and January. This observation can likely be
attributed to seasonal factors including lack of visibility and poor road conditions.
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Not injured 45 44 36 47 47
Minor - no treatment 79 80 80 84 105
Moderate - treated & released 148 174 151 192 173
Major - hospitalized 22 19 34 37 25
Fatal 9 7 7 8 7
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Fatal Major - hospitalized Moderate - treated & released Minor - no treatment Not injured
Figure 6-3 Time of Day Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions
Figure 6-4 Day of Week Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Figure 6-5 Monthly Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions
6.1.4 Personal Characteristics
The distribution of the age and gender of pedestrians involved in collisions is detailed in the
Figure 6-6 below. Male and female involvement is relatively equal at 51% and 49% respectively.
The 25-34 age group was the most frequently involved, followed by the by 45-54 age group.
Figure 6-6 Age and Gender of Pedestrians Involved in Collisions
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6%
7%
8%
9%
10%
00-04 05-14 15-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+
Male (Census) Female (Census) Male Female
6.1.5 Pedestrian Action and Location
Forty-four percent of pedestrian-related collisions occurred in marked crosswalks at
intersections. A significant portion (23%) of pedestrian-related collisions also occurred in the
roadway and not in a crosswalk or intersection (Figure 6-7). In 45% of pedestrian-related
collisions, there was no pedestrian action as a contributing factor (Figure 6-8). The most
frequently reported pedestrian actions at time of collision include improper crossing (10%),
darting into the roadway (8%), and not being visible (4%).
Figure 6-7 Pedestrian Location at Time of Collision
44%
23%
8%
6%
5%
4%
4%
4% 2%
0.4% 0.4% Marked crosswalk at intersection
In roadway(not in crosswalk or intersection)
At intersection but no marked crosswalk
Non-intersection crosswalk
Sidewalk
Outside trafficway
Roadside
Shoulder
Driveway access crosswalk
Island
Median (but not on shoulder)
Figure 6-8 Pedestrian Action at Time of Collision
45%
24%
10%
8%
4%
4% 3%
2% 1%
No pedestrian action as contributing factor
Unknown
Improper crossing
Darting into roadway
Not visible (dark clothing)
Inattentive (talking, eating, etc.)
In roadway (standing, on knees, lying, etc.)
Failure to yield right-of-way
Failure to obey traffic signs, signals, or officer
6.1.6 Spatial Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions
Figure 6-9 Spatial Distribution of Pedestrian-Related Collisions
6.2 Cyclist-Related Collisions
6.2.1 Total Collisions
Between 2007 and 2011, there were 473 cyclists involved in collisions, resulting in three
fatalities. There is no clear trend in annual cyclist-related collisions (Figure 6-10). It is important
to note that in Nova Scotia, all collisions involving property damage over $1,000 and/or result in
injuries or fatalities on a public road require reporting. It is therefore presumed that
underreporting is present.
Figure 6-10 Total Cyclist-Related Collisions by Year
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
6.2.2 Injury Severity
A significant proportion of cyclist collisions resulted in major or moderate injuries (55%) with
only 26% of cyclists sustaining minor injuries. Further, there were three cyclist fatalities in the
5-year period.
Figure 6-11 Injury Severity of Cyclists Involved in Collisions
6.2.3 Temporal Characteristics
The frequency of cyclist-related collisions is higher in the spring and summer months from May
to October as shown in Figure 6-12 below. This is likely attributable to increased ridership
during these months. Cyclist-related collisions occur most frequently on weekdays rather than
on weekend days (Figure 6-13). These higher collision frequencies may be attributed to the
increased volume of road users during weekdays. This trend is consistent is consistent with the
time of day variable as most collisions occur during the workday hours. Collisions involving
cyclists occurred most frequently between 3 and 6 PM (Figure 6-14).
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Not injured 14 16 10 17 20
Minor - no treatment 27 16 17 29 21
Moderate - treated & released 40 41 34 52 48
Major - hospitalized 7 3 4 2 4
Fatal 1 1 1
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Fatal Major - hospitalized Moderate - treated & released Minor - no treatment Not injured
Figure 6-12 Monthly Distribution of Cyclist-Related Collisions
Figure 6-13 Day of Week Distribution of Bicycle-Related Collisions
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Figure 6-14 Time of Day Distribution of Cyclist-Related Collisions
6.2.4 Personal Characteristics
The distribution of the age and gender of cyclists involved in collisions are presented in Figure 6-15
below. Males are involved in significantly more cyclist-related collisions compared to females. The
findings indicate that males were involved in 77% of collisions while female involvement was only
23%. For male cyclists, those aged 25-34 were the most frequently involved in collisions while, for
female cyclists, those aged 20-24 were the most frequently involved.
Figure 6-15 Age and Gender of Cyclists Involved in Collisions
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
00-04 05-14 15-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+
Male (Census) Female (Census) Male Female
6.2.5 Spatial Distribution of Bicycle-Related Collisions
Figure 6-16 Spatial Distribution of Bicycle-Related Collisions
7 Attitudes Towards Active Transportation
In 2013, DalTRAC conducted a Household Mobility and Travel Survey (HMTS) in the Halifax
Regional Municipality. The HMTS asked questions about the travel behaviour, attitudes, and
lifestyles of residents within the HRM. The majority of HMTS respondents typically agreed with
the positive attitudinal statements about active transportation such as “I enjoy riding a bicycle”,
“I prefer walking to driving whenever possible”, “I consider walking a part of daily exercise”,
and “I consider proximity to shops and services important” (Figure 7-1). However, despite the
vast majority of respondents agreeing with these statements, the actual use of active
transportation by respondents was low in comparison. To provide contrast, approximately 85%
of respondents also agreed with the attitudinal statement that “driving provides me with
freedom.” These results mean that, although many Nova Scotians favour active transportation,
walking and cycling may not always be feasible methods of transportation given current
development patterns. Regardless, these attitudinal results demonstrate that there is potential
for increasing walking and cycling in Nova Scotia.
Figure 7-1 Attitudes of HMTS Respondents
73% 71% 79%
87%
19% 22% 17%
11% 8% 8% 3% 2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
I enjoy riding a bicycle I prefer walking to driving whenever possible
I consider walking part of my daily exercise
Proximity to shops/services is important to me
Per
cen
tage
of
Res
po
nd
ents
Agree Disagree Unsure
8 Conclusion
This active transportation study by DalTRAC provides a useful benchmark for the state of active
transportation in Nova Scotia. Data from the Census, the National Household Survey (NHS), the
General Social Survey (GSS), and the Halifax Mobility Travel Survey (HMTS) all provide
reasonable insights into the patterns and trends of active transportation in Nova Scotia, and are
capable of tracking active transportation trends into the future to a certain extent. Although
this report does provide some analysis of disaggregate active transportation patterns by age,
income, gender, commuting distance, and commuting time, further disaggregate analysis is
possible if appropriate travel surveys become available.
8.1.1 Gaps in Active Transportation Research and Data
8.1.1.1 Travel behaviour data
It is worth noting that lack of readily available trip-related attributes was a primary constraint
for this study. In many cases, the research team took creative approaches to retrieve active
transportation information (for example, the use of travel episode information from the
General Social Survey micro-sample dataset).
Generally speaking, detailed information on active transportation patterns and trends are
limited in Canada. Modal share and trip attributes of non-work trips is almost absent in the
Census and National Household Survey. Promoting active transportation for non-work trips and
short-distance travel is becoming a key policy focus in many jurisdictions. Given that Nova
Scotia does not currently conduct travel surveys; this information is even more limited in Nova
Scotia compared to other provinces like Ontario and Quebec. Specialized Travel surveys (e.g.,
Origin-Destination surveys) can provide detailed, disaggregate information about travel
behaviour beyond that provided by other data sources such as the National Household Survey
or General Social Survey.
Furthermore, municipalities in Nova Scotia (even larger municipalities such as Halifax) do not
conduct travel surveys. However, there is a growing interest in transportation data collection in
the Province. Halifax Regional Municipality is considering a large-scale travel data collection
program. Other municipalities, such as Town of Bridgewater (Nova Insights, 2013), Colchester
County (Habib, 2014) conducted Active Transportation Surveys. Local initiatives are often
driven by specific project need. For example, Colchester County (Habib, 2014) Active
Transportation Survey 2014 was designed to collect information for a social marketing
campaign. On the other hand, the Town of Bridgewater (Nova Insights, 2013) collects
information on frequency of AT use, perception regarding walkability and AT initiatives. None of
the surveys, however follow state-of-practice (commonly used in many places) travel survey
designs that would help to objectively identify origin-destination patterns and relevant travel
behaviour. It is crucial to follow a standardized travel survey format (for example, definition of
modes) for consistency in comparison across municipalities. Therefore, this study recommends
setting up a regular, standardized provincial data collection program in partnership with the
local municipalities.
The standardized survey should follow traditional travel survey methods. It could be a
collection of travel diary information for 24-hr time period and retrieving data on daily travel
for each household member. The data collection should include: household characteristics,
characteristics of household members, information on daily trips and activities; start time and
end time of trips, and information on trip origin and destination.
8.1.1.2 Active transportation infrastructure inventory
This study also found that active transportation infrastructure-related information is not readily
available to the majority of municipalities in Nova Scotia. In recent UNSM/CTNS sponsored
survey (Habib, 2014), only 23% municipalities could offer detailed inventory of pedestrian and
bicycle infrastructure (e.g., km of sidewalks, bike lanes, paved shoulder or no. of bike parking).
Since these types of information is vital for monitoring progress towards municipal
sustainability goals, we would like to recommend creating a mechanism for reporting walking
and cycling infrastructure by all Nova Scotia Municipalities. A shorter version of the 2014 Nova
Scotia State of AT Survey questionnaire can be used for this purpose. However, the success of
the survey will depend on the participation of Nova Scotia municipalities.
8.1.1.3 Use of data/information for policy making
Limited data hinders the use of travel information for transportation-related policy
development. On the other hand, lesser use of transportation data in policy debates reduces
the priority of collecting good quality data. Recently, Nova Scotia’s Sustainable Transportation
Strategy makes tracking the progress of sustainable transportation (including active
transportation) a priority. Perhaps it will trigger a cultural shift towards a better use of available
data during policy development stages, and collection of newer, relevant trip-related
information that are vital in tracking progress of transportation sustainability.
9 Appendix
Appendix A: Definitions of Activity Typology
Type of Activity Definition Activities Considered in this Class
Mandatory * Mandatory activities are that one or more attributes such as frequency, location, and time-of-day are fixed over long periods of time.
Work trips, School trips
Maintenance * Maintenance activities are those that are motivated by household needs and are undertaken for the upkeep of the household
In-home (for example, household chores, sleeping, meals, cooking, and cleaning) or Out-of-home (for example, meals, grocery shopping, and paying bills)
Discretionary * Discretionary activities are those that are undertaken for social, recreational, or other personal reasons, either in-home or out-of-home
In home (For example, watching TV, Playing with children, Playing video games etc.) or Out -of-home (for example, entertainment related activities, recreational activities, sports, biking, jogging, walking, organizational and voluntary activities etc.)
*Bhat, C.R., and Koppelman, F.S. (1993) “A conceptual framework for individual activity program generation”, Transportation Research Part A, Vol. 27, No. 6, pp. 443-446.
*Vadarevu, R.V., and Stopher, P.R. (1996) “Household Activities, Life Cycle, and Role Allocation”, Transportation Research Record No: 1556, pp. 77-85.
*Srinivasan, S (2004) “Modeling Household Interactions in Daily Activity Generation”, Doctoral dissertation, Faculty of the Graduate School, University of Texas at Austin.
