Understanding Municipal Officials' Involvement in Transportation Policies Supportive of Walking and Bicycling

Abstract

Context Local transportation policies can impact the built environment and physical activity. Municipal officials play a critical role in transportation policy and planning decisions, yet little is known about what influences their involvement. Objective To describe municipal officials’ involvement in transportation policies that were supportive of walking and bicycling and to examine individual- and job-related predictors of involvement in transportation policies among municipal officials. Design A cross-sectional survey was administered online from June-July 2012 to municipal officials in 83 urban areas with a population of 50,000 or more residents across 8 states. Participants A total of 461 municipal officials from public health, planning, transportation, public works, community and economic development, parks and recreation, city management, and municipal legislatures responded to the survey. Main Outcome Measure Participation in the development, adoption, or implementation of a municipal transportation policy supportive of walking or bicycling. Results Multivariate logistic regression analyses, conducted in September 2013, revealed that perceived importance of economic development and traffic congestion were positively associated with involvement in a municipal transportation policy (OR=1.32, 95% CI=1.02–1.70; OR=1.59, 95% CI=1.26–2.01, respectively). Higher perceived resident support of local government to address economic development was associated with an increased likelihood of participation in a transportation policy (OR=1.70, 95% CI=1.24–2.32). Respondents who perceived lack of collaboration as a barrier were less likely to be involved in a transportation policy (OR=.78, 95% CI=.63–.97). Municipal officials that lived in the city or town in which they worked were significantly more likely to be involved in a transportation policy (OR=1.83, 95% CI=1.05–3.17). Conclusions Involvement in a local transportation policy by a municipal official was associated with greater perceived importance of economic development and traffic congestion in job responsibilities; greater perceived resident support of local government to address economic development; and residence of the municipal official. Lack of collaboration represented a barrier to local transportation policy participation.

Perceptions of barriers and levers of health-enhancing physical activity policies in mid-size French municipalities

“…Moreover, it may not be enough to involve key stakeholders from other sectors in HEPA promotion. Studies have highlighted that the awareness of HEPA importance by elected officials and department heads from various sectors determine their involvement in HEPA promotion [25,26]. Strong leadership and strong political advocacy might therefore help enhance the development of intersectoral HEPA polices [53,54].…”

“…Involvement in intersectoral policies may be limited when policy-makers lack an understanding of the benefits of this approach and have different policy priorities based on their sector [18,24]. Their perceptions of the importance of HEPA policies, especially when they come from different sectors, may be an indicator of their willingness to become involved [25,26]. Studies have shown that capturing the views of policy-makers and professionals across multiple sectors therefore provides a deeper understanding of the key factors that facilitate intersectoral collaborations and HEPA policy implementation [27,28].…”

Exploring active transportation investments and associated benefits for municipal budgets: a scoping review

“…Municipalities have a significant role in the planning and development of communities that support active living (Zwald et al, 2014), which aligns with health sector priorities to promote physical activity and reduce the burden of chronic diseases (World Health Organization, 2010). For many local governments, fiscal evidence on the benefits relative to the costs of investment is one consideration in financing AT infrastructure.…”

Driven to Support: Individual- and County-Level Factors Associated With Public Support for Active Transportation Policies

“…These complexities in collaboration, coordination, and jurisdictions can also create potential roadblocks, independent of the level of public support for such policy or programmatic initiatives. 36 This study uses a cross-sectional design and therefore precludes assessment of causal associations or the potential impact of residential self-selection. Additionally, the sample was not nationally representative but rather purposefully selected from counties based on higher or lower levels of county-level population health-related risk factors of obesity and insufficient activity known to be associated with active transportation behaviors.…”