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Winters M, Fuller D, Cloutier MS, Harris MA, Howard A, Kestens Y, Kirk S, Macpherson A, Moore S, Rothman L, Shareck M, Tomasone JR, Laberee K, Stephens ZP, Sones M, Ayton D, Batomen B, Bell S, Collins P, Diab E, Giles AR, Hagel BE, Harris MS, Harris P, Lachapelle U, Manaugh K, Mitra R, Muhajarine N, Myrdahl TM, Pettit CJ, Pike I, Skouteris H, Wachsmuth D, Whitehurst D, Beck B. Building CapaCITY/É for sustainable transportation: protocol for an implementation science research program in healthy cities. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e085850. [PMID: 38631827 PMCID: PMC11029507 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Improving sustainable transportation options will help cities tackle growing challenges related to population health, congestion, climate change and inequity. Interventions supporting active transportation face many practical and political hurdles. Implementation science aims to understand how interventions or policies arise, how they can be translated to new contexts or scales and who benefits. Sustainable transportation interventions are complex, and existing implementation science frameworks may not be suitable. To apply and adapt implementation science for healthy cities, we have launched our mixed-methods research programme, CapaCITY/É. We aim to understand how, why and for whom sustainable transportation interventions are successful and when they are not. METHODS AND ANALYSIS Across nine Canadian municipalities and the State of Victoria (Australia), our research will focus on two types of sustainable transportation interventions: all ages and abilities bicycle networks and motor vehicle speed management interventions. We will (1) document the implementation process and outcomes of both types of sustainable transportation interventions; (2) examine equity, health and mobility impacts of these interventions; (3) advance implementation science by developing a novel sustainable transportation implementation science framework and (4) develop tools for scaling up and scaling out sustainable transportation interventions. Training activities will develop interdisciplinary scholars and practitioners able to work at the nexus of academia and sustainable cities. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This study received approval from the Simon Fraser University Office of Ethics Research (H22-03469). A Knowledge Mobilization Hub will coordinate dissemination of findings via a website; presentations to academic, community organisations and practitioner audiences; and through peer-reviewed articles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Winters
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Daniel Fuller
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Marie-Soleil Cloutier
- Centre Urbanisation Culture Société, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - M Anne Harris
- School of Occupational and Public Health, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew Howard
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yan Kestens
- École de santé publique, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sara Kirk
- Healthy Populations Institute and Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Alison Macpherson
- School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah Moore
- School of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Linda Rothman
- School of Occupational and Public Health, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martine Shareck
- Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé, Département des sciences de la santé communautaire, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Jennifer R Tomasone
- School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karen Laberee
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Meridith Sones
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Darshini Ayton
- Health and Social Care Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Brice Batomen
- University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Scott Bell
- Department of Geography and Planning, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Patricia Collins
- Department of Geography and Planning, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ehab Diab
- Department of Geography and Planning, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Audrey R Giles
- School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brent E Hagel
- Departments of Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mike S Harris
- City Futures Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Patrick Harris
- Centre for Health Equity Training, Research and Evaluation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ugo Lachapelle
- Département d'études urbaines et touristiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Kevin Manaugh
- Department of Geography and Bieler School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Raktim Mitra
- School of Urban and Regional Planning, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nazeem Muhajarine
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Tiffany Muller Myrdahl
- Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies and Urban Studies Program, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christopher J Pettit
- City Futures Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ian Pike
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Helen Skouteris
- Health and Social Care Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David Wachsmuth
- School of Urban Planning, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - David Whitehurst
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ben Beck
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Singh SS, Javanmard R, Lee J, Kim J, Diab E. Evaluating the accessibility benefits of the new BRT system during the COVID-19 pandemic in Winnipeg, Canada. Journal of Urban Mobility 2022. [PMCID: PMC8863955 DOI: 10.1016/j.urbmob.2022.100016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recently, in Winnipeg, the implementation of new bus rapid transit (BRT) system in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic has raised many concerns, challenging the rationale behind the untimely release. However, the new BRT service can benefit low-income, socio-economically vulnerable, and transit captive passengers who must travel to essential services and work opportunities during the pandemic. This study evaluates whether the new BRT system has positive impacts on accessibility to such essential services during the pandemic. Isochrones with different time budgets as well as times of a day are generated based on high-resolution public transit network via the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data and used for evaluating accessibility benefits before and after the BRT construction. The new BRT service in Winnipeg demonstrates varying accessibility impacts across different parts of the BRT corridor. Areas near dedicated lane-section show a significant increase, whereas areas near non-dedicated lane sections show a decrease in accessibility. Nevertheless, across the whole BRT corridor, the new BRT service presents an overall increase in accessibility to essential services. This demonstrates the positive accessibility benefits of the new BRT service to residents seeking essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic. A decrease in accessibility along some parts suggests the necessity of using local transit improvement strategies (e.g., dedicated lanes) to improve service speed when planning BRT services within urban areas.
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Diaz F, Abbasi SJ, Fuller D, Diab E. Canadian transit agencies response to COVID-19: Understanding strategies, information accessibility and the use of social media. Transp Res Interdiscip Perspect 2021; 12:100465. [PMID: 34604734 PMCID: PMC8464171 DOI: 10.1016/j.trip.2021.100465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Over the past few months, transit agencies across Canada have been rushed to implement a range of strategies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with no standardized guidelines to direct their efforts. This study explores the initial response of transit agencies serving the 25 most populous Canadian cities by understanding the distinct types of response measures implemented between March 1st and June 1st, 2020. It also explores to what extent information related to these measures was accessible and usable, and how transit agencies used social media to communicate their efforts to the public. To achieve these goals, a detailed review of Canadian transit agencies websites and social media accounts was performed. The findings suggest that larger transit agencies across Canada implemented the most measures to respond to COVID-19, but not necessarily provided the most accessible information regarding the measures. Overall, while all transit agencies reduced the offered service's frequency and capacity and enhanced vehicle cleaning, the implementation of other physical and communication measures varied considerably between agencies. Information related to the number of COVID-19 cases within the workforce was least accessible across agencies. Transit agencies' Twitter platforms were used more by larger agencies. While most of transit agencies tend to employ tweets that include some type of graphics, very few agencies employed videos and animations to communicate important information to the public. This paper provides transit planners and policymakers with comprehensive information regarding the initial response of Canadian transit agencies to maintain operations in such critical times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Diaz
- Department of Geography and Planning, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Sarmad J Abbasi
- Department of Geography and Planning, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Daniel Fuller
- School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Ehab Diab
- Department of Geography and Planning, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
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