A Decade of Benchmarking Biking and Walking
Background
Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2018 Benchmarking Report (Benchmarking Report) is the 6th edition of the report initially created in 2007 by the Alliance for Biking and Walking. The scope of the report is to provide federal, state, and local comparative data about bicycling and walking in an accessible document. The comparative longitudinal data contributes to the understanding of health and active transportation by monitoring benchmark data and highlighting positive and negative outcomes.

Methods
The methods of the Benchmarking Report include the collection of data from federal sources, original and third-party data for cities and states, and survey data for cities and states. Major federal data sources include the American Community Survey for commuting data and demographics, the National Household Travel Survey for travel data, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System for traffic fatality data, the Fiscal Management Information System for federal spending data, and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for physical activity and chronic disease data. Longitudinal survey question topics include bicycle and pedestrian planning, education and training relevant to bicycling and walking, state and local funding for bicycling and walking, and infrastructure for bicycling and walking.

The comparative data in the Benchmarking Report is complemented by a “Make Your Case” Chapter that explores 10 subjects and discusses areas where data could be improved; demographic, social, and economic differences prevalent in bicycling and walking; and the role of bicycling and walking within the larger realm of public health.

Results
The main result of the Benchmarking Report is comparative longitudinal data for the United States, all 50 states, the 50 largest cities in the United States, and 19 smaller cities. Comparative longitudinal data show that more states and cities are taking steps to improve bicycling and walking, that despite these efforts in many places bicycling and walking fatalities increased in recent years, that rates of bicycling to work have increased in most states and cities over the last decade while rates of walking to work have not, and that bicycling and walking commute rates usually are associated with rates of physical activity in states and cities.

The comparative data generally shows that states and cities that plan for bicycling and walking, adopt and iterate complete streets policies, and pursue infrastructure improvements tend to have better results in terms of the rates of people biking and walking, the safety of people biking and walking, and better health outcomes. These associations can be valuable for policymakers considering whether or how to invest in improving bicycling and walking.

Conclusion
The 2018 Benchmarking Report provides a wealth of comparative data that can help build relationships at the intersection of health and active transportation, identify research needs and opportunities to advance, and promote innovate practices. Participation in this conference would allow attendees to engage with the decade-long monitoring of the Benchmarking Report and help benchmark monitoring meet the needs of health and active transportation practitioners.

Presenter: Ken McLeod
Agency Affiliation: The League of American Bicyclists

Presenter Biographical Statement: [biography]