Bicycle Rack Initiative: Introduction

Under the Ontario Public Health Standards, the boards of health of local public health agencies are required to work with school boards and/or staff of elementary, secondary, and post-secondary educational settings, using a comprehensive health promotion approach, to influence the development and implementation of healthy policies, and the creation or enhancement of supportive environments to address physical activity and healthy weights (1). In order to meet this requirement, Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington (KFL&A) Public Health works together with local school boards to promote physical activity among KFL&A area students.

Active transportation to and from school provides an opportunity to increase daily physical activity. A needs assessment of KFL&A area secondary schools interested in collaborating on this initiative revealed that there was a lack of bicycle racks on school property available for students and staff.

Through a partnership of the Limestone District School Board, the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, and KFL&A Public Health, bicycle racks were offered to secondary schools in the KFL&A area in an effort to promote physical activity by encouraging cycling to school.

This initiative was evaluated to determine if the installation of bicycle racks had an impact on the number of students and staff cycling to and from school. The information gained from this evaluation informed stakeholders' decisions about the provision of bicycle racks to other schools in the KFL&A area.