Inbetweenisode 11: Motivating Walking - The More You Drive, the More Obese You Are w/Fred Richter

Fred is an inveterate traveler. He has bicycled, walked, hiked or run in all 50 US states, all 10 Canadian provinces, and on every continent but Antartica. Along the way, he spent time backpacking on some of the world's most renown trails and so far has hiked (some are drive-ups) to the summit of 38 state high points. This year he has biked over 5000 miles and is on course to run/walk/hike 1000 miles. Traveling around the world, he pays close attention to the accommodations offered to active road users. He notes, "It becomes clear how much a country, state or local municipality values and encourages walkers or bikers as I attempt to walk or bike their roadways." Knowing the importance and benefits of safe walking and biking, Fred serves as an advocate on the local, regional and state levels. He has been awarded a Safe Routes to School grant for his local school district, helped design a more walkable streetscape in his town, and continues to promote the 3Es of enforcement, engineering and education to hopefully ensure the roads are safe for all users. Fred earned a doctorate from Penn State. 00:00 The benefits of walking. 03:00 "The risk of obesity increases 6% for every hour we spend in the car driving." 03:45 "The more you drive, the fatter you are." 04:50 How infrastructure aids obesity. 05:20 "Creep" on roads. 06:00 Why speed is a problem, not a solution. 08:30 What a community can do to encourage pedestrian safety. 10:00 The two criteria for people to walk. 14:00 Why a parking lot can be the most dangerous place to walk. 16:00 Why people will walk in malls but not parking lots. 17:40 Why rail trails are great, but need connectivity to encourage more walkers. 19:15 The community benefits of walking versus driving. 23:00 Why walkable communities have better economies.