Biking to work is associated with higher levels of well-being, according to a new study.
The study is a scientific, peer-reviewed research paper that correlated extensive survey information with the characteristics of communities. The original study is here.
It was also reported in NPR, including this excerpt:
“Another unexpected finding was the connection between well-being and the percentage of residents commuting by bicycle. People living in places where they could commute to work by bike reported feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment.
This could be because places with bike-friendly infrastructure might also support other types of policies that improve living in that area. Or it could be that commuting by bike improves physical health, which in turn improves a sense of well-being; a study in Heart this week showed walking or cycling to work cut the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke by 30 percent.”
The NPR article ends by making the connection between individual well-being and community policies:
“There are things that communities can do that make it more possible for people to feel more positive about their community,” she says. “And some of these things are very much in our control.”
City policies that promote bicycling are ways that communities can provide tangible evidence that they are promoting a healthier, happier populace. This blog will help identify and promote what those policies look like that make cyclists feel safer and more enabled to use their bike as a commuting option.