2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

334771
Building a bike share program: Active transportation for government employees


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 1:30 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.

Jeffery Rosenhall, MA, Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Branch, California Department of Public Health, Sacramento, CA
Rebecca Garrow, MPH, Public Health Institute, Sacramento, CA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
In May 2014, the California Department of Public Health welcomed six new bicycles to its campus. This BikeShare program constitutes a free employee-focused worksite wellness initiative that encourages daily physical activity, active transportation, reduced local transportation costs and zero emissions. The BikeShare program was funded by a unique public-private partnership pairing a major health care organization’s resources and state staff capacity together. The program has now become a component of the state’s Health in All Policies Task Force Active Transportation Implementation Plan.

A CDC Obesity Prevention grant funds staff time and the scope of work includes evaluation and expanding BikeShare to other state agencies. Employee participants may use the bicycles during work hours for business or personal trips and self-report mileage. User data is tracked monthly via a SharePoint reservation system and log sheets.

Initial data on 200 registered users (more female than male) shows a total of 624 trips in the first nine months. Each trip averages about five miles in length, with over 1,500 total trip miles logged in under a year. An on-going process evaluation has resulted in improved training presentations, increased efficiency of scheduled maintenance, and targeted promotion and outreach efforts.

Anecdotally, program participants have reported a reduction in blood pressure, increased stamina and sense of fun, freedom, and independence with the bikes; many do not own bikes. This oral presentation will address best practices and policies needed to successfully implement BikeShare at a state or other agency including liability, facilities, evaluation, and sustainability.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Chronic disease management and prevention
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Explain the benefits of offering a free BikeShare program to public health agency employees. Describe the necessary components of a successful employee BikeShare program. Discuss the importance of policies that support physical activity at the worksite including BikeShare. Assess whether your agency has the necessary ingredients to launch a successful BikeShare program.

Keyword(s): Physical Activity, Workplace

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the co-creator of this BikeShare program and have significant (~10 years) professional background and training in physical activity promotion, obesity prevention, active transportation and worksite wellness implementation. I have done numerous professional presentations including at APHA in the past.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3278.0: Going Places with Physical Activity: Advances in Active Transportation