It’s Fitting! Walking and cycling are the staffs of life in the transportation world. We cannot prosper without them. Roads in all their forms–urban streets, shared use paths, trails–are made for public travel. Travel is diverse. Designing for pedestrians including pedestrians with disabilities and designing for bicycling 
builds a healthier transportation ecosystem. Walking and cycling are the most accessible, efficient and practical forms of travel. The presence of people walking and cycling changes things. Roads become friendlier, more attractive, rooted in community and place. Changing the transportation status quo shifts social structure and reorganizes our lives around healthy activities. Walking and cycling is people powered change in its most direct and impactful form. Positively changing transportation shifts the way we relate to our communities including our social and natural landscapes, creating a more intimate and connected world.
It Becomes Us! Walking and cycling increases self-sufficiency and instills hope. It grows our capacity for local autonomy, safer neighborhoods, raising healthier children, happier families and leading better lives. Walking and cycling help us celebrate life, honor traditions, and preserve our natural heritage for future generations.
The Health Imperative! The evidence shows we need healthy transportation. Lifestyles contribute to half of Americans having chronic diseases. Children’s obesity rates have doubled in the last 20 years. If we don’t act, people are going to suffer pointlessly and die prematurely. It’s important for all ages to spend time outside. By making walking and cycling safe, comfortable, and convenient, it is easier for us to get routine exercise in the course of our daily living. With regular time active outdoors, you can reduce your body mass index (BMI), increase wellness, happiness, decrease symptoms for ADHD, decrease depression, decrease diabetes. We can change. Walking and cycling is a fun way of becoming more of who we are meant to be. It’s more like us.
Who Benefits? Transportation diversity benefits everyone. Even if you don’t plan on cycling or walking extensively, every automobile trip starts and ends with a walk. Children especially benefit as streets become safer, and key destinations such as schools, parks and recreation, and after school activities become increasingly accessible by walking and cycling. This creates freedom for families. We all psychologically benefit from safer, calmer streets with a diverse mix of people about. Elderly populations particularly benefit as active transportation alternatives increase. Enjoy a newfound freedom in a travel environment that is protective and caring, builds trust and connection, and promotes family happiness and fulfillment, fairness, freedom, openness,
cooperation, and community development.
Southwest Bike Initiative 