Bicycles and the ‘Immigrant Effect’

I just wanted to share this with you all due to the fact that there are so many out there that have no choice but to bike and I think that they are an important population that as the Bike Fort Wayne thing gets off the ground, must be considered.

Bicycles and the ‘Immigrant Effect’

Finally, some research that may have positive public health implications for minorities! (Or at least recent immigrants.)
By Elisabeth Best

Immigrants tend to be healthier than native-born Americans when they arrive in the United States, but within a generation that advantage is lost. A new study by UCLA doctoral candidate Michael Smart suggests one reason why. In the May issue of Transportation Policy he describes findings that new immigrants — legal or not — are twice as likely to travel by bicycle than native-born Americans.


Smart believes that transportation planning agencies should include immigrant communities when planning bicycle networks and facilities. Pointing to the example of the Los Angeles Bicycle Master Plan Update, he argues that this is not currently a priority. Although L.A. County has the largest concentration of immigrants in the U.S., immigrant community outreach has not been incorporated into city planning. In fact, an Internet survey was the most significant element of the public participation process for the bike plan revision.

Read the entire story here