Organization City of Independence Health Department
In June of 2011, the City of Independence passed a complete streets policy. The first part of implementing the complete streets policy included the addition of bike lanes. The HIA addressed the health impacts of placement of bike lanes and made recommendations on how to improve physical activity, healthy food access, and safety. The HIA found that implementation of bike lanes would likely have a positive impact on health overall. The HIA recommended implementation of speed reduction strategies, and education for cyclists and drivers to increase safety. The HIA also recommended that further planning take into account connectivity between the bike lanes and existing paths, trails, retail, and transit.
The Health Impact Project’s toolkit contains resources that help communities, agencies, and other organizations take action to improve public health. The toolkit offers a collection of health impact assessments, guides, and other research to support policymakers’ efforts to consider health when making decisions across sectors, such as housing, planning, and education.
