How can walking and bicycling contribute to a healthier environment and more sustainable future? You will find resources in this folder exploring the environmental benefits of trails, a report linking air quality with walkable communities, and a report card on how four cities stack up in promoting green transportation as part of environmental solutions.

 

Benefits of Rail Trails (RTC)
Rails to Trails Conservancy's Benefits of Rail Trails include Health, Transportation/Livability, Conservation/Environment, Economy/Revitalization, and Historic Preservation/Community Identity.

Benefits of Rail Trails (URL)

 

Reducing Foreclosures and Environmental Impacts through Location-Efficient Neighborhood Design
This 2009 report from the Natural Resources Defense Council presents new research about the direct link between "location efficiency"—a measure of the transportation costs in a given area—and mortgage foreclosure rates. The study shows that factors such as neighborhood compactness, access to public transit, and rates of vehicle ownership are key to predicting mortgage performance.

Reducing Foreclosures and Environmental Impacts through Location-Efficient Neighborhood Design Report (PDF) (2.2 MB)

Research in Progress Database (Transportation Research Board)
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) now hosts a Research in Progress (RiP) Database holding information on over 8,400 recent and current transportation research projects funded by departments of transportation and universities. The database acts as an interface between these different levels of institutions, each of which has direct access to routinely update, modify, add and delete information regarding their projects, thus ensuring that users continue to have easy access to accurate information. Health is well represented among these projects: the database contains research projects focusing on pedestrian and motor vehicle safety, air quality, livability, active transportation and other topics.

Research in Progress Database (URL)

Urban Transportation Report Card 2007 (T.A., SFBC, CBF, CBC)
This report card released in 2007 scores four urban cities (San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, and New York) on how well they are fighting climate change through transportation reform. This project was a joint effort by Alliance member organizations: Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, Cascade Bicycle Club, Transportation Alternatives, and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

Urban Transportation Report Card (PDF)