Evaluating the impact of community-based engagement on active

transportation planning10th Biennial Childhood Obesity Conference

Jill F. Cooper, MSW

UC Berkeley SafeTREC

July 18, 2019

Today’s talkTo discuss research findings that document the value of community engagement in active transportation mobility and safety planning and programming.

Evaluation framework

Program goals to be evaluated1. Provide communities with safety information2. Help build coalitions between community partners3. Increase walking and bicycling 4. Improve perceptions of pedestrian and bicycle safety 5. Increase the number of pedestrian and bicycle safety countermeasures

Goal 1: Provide communities with information, data and resources • Process Objective: At each workshop, participants receive community-specific

information and resources to address safety concerns• Outcome Objective: Participants report an increase in ability to advocate for

improvements

Goal 1 Results: Provide communities with information, data and resources

Goal 2: Build community stakeholder coalitions• Process Objective: Each workshop planning committee

includes representatives from local government, non-profit groups, residential organizations and local schools

• Outcome Objective: Upon follow-up, community stakeholders report partnering with one another to address local pedestrian/bicycle safety

Goal 2 Results: Build community stakeholder coalitions• Often the first time different stakeholder groups were in the same space for

a significant amount of time together.

• Community organizations leveraged new partnerships to help prioritize improvements and community members involvement in planning projects.

Goal 3: Increase walking and cycling in communities • Process Objective: At each workshop, facilitators and participants identify

barriers and solutions to barriers to walking and bicycling in the community

• Process Objective: Upon follow-up, community partners have attained funding for solutions to barriers limiting walking and bicycling

Goal 3 results: Increase walking and cycling in communities (Identify barriers)

• Before the workshop, barriers identified:• Lack of street lights, car traffic, lack of xwalks/crossing signals, sidewalks in

poor condition, danger from crime• After the workshop:

• id of lack of xwalks, signals

Goal 4: Improve safety perceptions• Process Objective: At each workshop, participants identify local pedestrian and

bicycle safety issues• Process Objective: At each workshop, facilitators inform participants about local

safety concerns and best practices to addressing issues

Goal 4 Results: Improve safety perceptions• Learning about safety for walking helps me feel like I can speak up for

improvements.• Special events like street fairs improve safety for walking.• Neighborhood groups make me feel safer when walking.

Goal 5: Increase objective safety measures

• Process Objective: At each workshop, facilitators and participants identify funding to address local pedestrian and bicycle safety concerns and solutions

• Outcome Objective: Upon long-term follow-up, at least one safety countermeasure was implemented in the community after the workshop

Goal 5 Results: Increase objective safety measures• During follow-up interviews 6-9 months after workshop:

• 7 sites were either submitting or had submitted new proposals.• 5 communities said walk assessments helped prioritize new projects.• 2 communities conducted additional p/b safety assessments since the

CPBST.

Summary of key evaluation findings• Increased ability to advocate for improvements of w/b conditions.• Developed new partnerships among agencies and communities.• Generated communities’ capacity to plan and generate ideas for w/b safety.

Resources and partners

• Barajas, J. M., Beck, K.M., Cooper, J.F., Lopez, A., Reynosa, A. “How Effective Are Community Pedestrian Safety Training Workshops? Short-Term Findings from a Program in California.” Journal of Transport and Health, 2019. https://safetrec.berkeley.edu/publications/how-effective-are-community-pedestrian-safety-training-workshops-short-term-findings

• Doggett, S., Beck, K., Lopez, A., Cooper, J.F. “Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Training Program Evaluation Report.” 2019. Online at https://safetrec.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/publications/cpbst_evaluation_report_070219.pdf

• California Walks, http://californiawalks.org/

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Thank you!

Jill CooperUC Berkeley SafeTRECcooperj@Berkeley.edu

510-643-4259