Active Transportation in Canada: What the data can tell us Gregory Butler Data Development and Dissemination Division

Purpose To present a case for a greater emphasis on quantitative approaches for studying active transportation. To introduce some Canadian datasets available for studying aspects of walking and cycling in Canada. To highlight specific strengths of each dataset for particular research questions.

Surveys as a Starting Point The surveys I will highlight contain a great deal of information about the context of walking and cycling. In the case of big surveys, it can be like having a ready made survey of walkers and cyclists in your city or province. It is difficult to get active transport questions on big surveys or the census and a challenge to keep them there as policy interests evolve.

Statistics Canada Data

National Population Health Survey (NPHS) The NPHS is a longitudinal survey of respondents aged 12 years or older and contains variables related to health, physical activity as well as socio-demographic variables such as age, gender income etc. The Survey has followed 17,276 respondents bi-annually since 1994/95 (12,546 remain in current cycle). The survey also had a cross sectional component with a larger sample for 94/95, 96/97, 98/99 years. Active Transport Question: “In a typical week, in the past 3 months, how much time did you usually spend bicycling (walking) to work or school or while doing errands? ” Some small sample size issues for cycling.

Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) The CCHS is a survey of respondents aged 12 years or older which took over the cross sectional component of the NPHS and includes similar variables. The survey cycle alternates between a large general health survey (n=127,610 in 2003) in the one year, and a smaller targeted survey (n=34,840 in 2002), in alternate years. The larger sample size allows comparisons at the regional level. Active Transport Question: “Next, some questions about the amount of time you spent in the past 3 months on physical activity at work or while doing daily chores around the house, but not leisure time activity. In a typical week, how much time did you usually spend walking (bicycling) to work or to school or while doing errands?”

Census 2.8% individual Sample (1996) A representative sample (n = 792,448) of the Canadian Population, organized into a microdata file. The 2001 file is expected in The file contains socio-demographic variables, geographic location, and in 1996 and 2001 questions related to walking and biking to work. Active Transport Questions: “How did this person usually get to work?” and “Commuting distance (between the respondent's place of residence and his or her usual place of work) ” Excludes walking and cycling for school, errands, to buses or trains or any other use but travel to work.

General Social Survey (GSS)– Time Use Cycles (Cycle 2, 7, 12) The GSS cycles have a different focus each year. Examples are: Time Uses, Work and Family and Social and Community Support. Statistics Canada revisits the topics periodically. The Time Use survey is relevant because it asks about the mode of travel to work. An activity code is also included for leisure bicycling. There have been three Time Use cycles of the survey. In 1986 (cycle 2) only walking was included. In 1992 (cycle 7) and 1998 (cycle 12) bicycling and walking where listed as options. Representative cross sectional survey of Canadians (n = 25,000 since 1998) with a number of socio-demographic variables.

Uses of Statistics Canada Data Large surveys like the Canadian Community Health Survey and the Census microdata are useful for comparing communities and regions for walking and cycling rates. Using multivariate statistics to assess variables associated with transportation mode choice. The National Population Health Survey is useful for comparing individuals over time to see how their walking and cycling behaviour changes. The time use data can be used to assess how the time use of walking and cycling differs from other travellers.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) Data

National Trauma Registry The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) creates this database using administrative data from hospital admissions (excluding emergency room treatment). The database includes data on injuries (walking, biking, driving), as well as information on the date of the injury, the resulting diagnosis, length of stay in hospital. Some geographic, socio-demographic detail (i.e. age, gender, 3 digit postal code). CIHI produces a report titled the National Trauma Registry Report each year which summarizes injuries. For example, there were 4,520 cycling hospitalization in Canada in 2001/02.

Other Data Sources

1998 Survey on Active Transportation Representative Survey of 1500 adult Canadians developed in partnership between Go For Green and Health Canada. Telephone interviews Plans for update in 2005 with the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI) conducting the survey. Household member’s attitudes, behaviours toward walking/cycling. Separate questions about walking/cycling to work, school, errands; multimodal transport (walking/cycling to bus stop); and questions about resistance to increased walking/cycling. Small sample size challenge: In 1500 respondents, challenge to obtain large enough sample of cyclists for in-depth analysis of behaviours. However, a key resources due to the number of active transport questions.

Physical Activity Monitor Representative Survey of Canadians 15 or over with parents responding for children less than 15. Developed by The Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute with a current sample size of Telephone interviews 1995 and annually 1997 – present. Provides trend data on factors influencing physical activity patterns. Several specific questions on walking, cycling to work, as well as general demographic questions, leisure physical activity. Small sample size challenge related to cycling, but it benefits from a targeted focus on physical activity unlike larger general surveys.

Challenges and Opportunities with a Quantitative Approach

Sample Size Sample size is relevant in active transportation research. In North American cities, cycling to work can be less than 1 percent of the population. A sample of 10,000 might yield only 100 cyclists. Big surveys support multivariate analysis and they allow specific geographic comparisons at the city level. They require highly cooperative efforts. Small surveys can be targeted to a particular end (i.e. comparisons of travel destinations). They tend to be more flexible, and require fewer partners due to their lower cost. Ideally, it is best make use of big surveys where possible and fill in the gaps with targeted smaller surveys.

Comparability Are different surveys studying the same thing? Different questions Different time periods Different methodologies It is not enough to know the data, but also the meta-data. (data about the data). Most surveys come with significant amounts of supporting documentation which highlight how the data was gathered. Knowing how the data was collected or organized can be essential for comparing different rates of walking and cycling.

Marketing Walking and Cycling In studying the determinants of walking and cycling, variables such as age, income, education may be as important or more important than climate or the kilometres of sidewalks and trails. If you know the characteristics of walkers and cyclists are, then you can focus advertising on target populations, possibly reducing expensive marketing campaigns to the general public. Understanding the dynamics of underlying communities and individual travel patterns can suggest where to focus infrastructure. – Bike paths in neighbourhoods with children and seniors. - Bike lanes elsewhere.

Benchmarking Knowledge of the data allows comparisons. -City to city. -City to a national average -Changes over time. Comparability permits setting targets. -Set goals to match walking/cycling in more successful centres. -Target 5 percent increase each year in cycling levels. By using data, it is easier to determine the effectiveness of our programs and demonstrate results.

Participating in the Data Process Census and survey question selection are open to informed contribution. Expert users will also be able to find inconsistencies in the data and contribute to future improvements. Collecting data is an expensive process. It’s cost effective to make full use of existing data, and it helps you to avoid duplication and unnecessary overlap in collecting new data. By routinely using existing data, the walking and cycling community demonstrates to the data collectors that active transportation questions are being used.

An International Context?

International Comparability Active transport questions are widely asked in national census efforts. Just as important as comparing walking and cycling rates within one country, international comparisons are also important. Victoria BC or Madison Wisconsin may have more in common with Cambridge England or Lund Sweden than they do with Montréal or New York. It should be possible to co-operate internationally to create walking and cycling resources and comparisons if the will exists.

International Comparability The possibility of creating international comparability in walking is underway in the work of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Information on this project can be found at:

Contacts Websites of Canadian cited data providers Contact for Gregory Butler Jeanne Mance Building 5 th Fl PL 1905A Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9 1(613)