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Bike Month takes to the streets

The evidence is becoming too compelling to ignore: how we design our communities for travel has a direct impact on how healthy we are
Lake2Lake
May is bike month in the Shuswap.

The evidence is becoming too compelling to ignore: how we design our communities for travel has a direct impact on how healthy we are – and, it seems, how wealthy.

The local planning group in Salmon Arm is inviting residents throughout the Shuswap to use the entire month of May to highlight the benefits of walking and cycling.

A growing body of research is demonstrating that people are more likely to be physically active in neighborhoods and towns that adopt active design standards that encourage walking and cycling as a primary transportation option.

Several notable planning efforts in the Shuswap are setting a path toward healthier transportation options. These include Sicamous’s Age and Dementia Friendly Community Planning, Salmon Arm’s Greenway Strategy and Bicycle Connector Planning, the CSRD’s Area Parks Plans, Chase’s discussion to develop a Walking Master Plan, and the Shuswap Regional Trails Strategy.

“Participating in these planning initiatives is critical to ensure walking and cycling is a priority,” says Phil McIntyre-Paul with the Shuswap Trail Alliance.

Bike Month events and group rides encourage local residents to get their bicycles out and use some pedal time to think about how Shuswap communities might retrofit their community to make walking and cycling easier. Check out shuswapbike.com.  Register for Bike to Work Week at www.biketowork.ca/Shuswap.