Why Not Bike or Walk There?

BENEFITS

There are many health, economic, environmental, and social benefits of walking and biking in your neighborhood—and for many people, a short walk or bike trip is a feasible journey.

Health

Regular physical activity improves mood, reduces the risk of heart disease and cancers, helps maintain or lose weight, and helps extend life. Arlington’s neighborhoods support an active lifestyle with physical activity easily done throughout the day—walking to the post office, biking to pick up groceries, or enjoying a coffee while taking a stroll.

Environmental

Driving less reduces congestion (you are traffic!). Vehicle congestion resulted in 3.1 billion gallons of wasted fuel in 2014, a cost of more than $160 billion. Plus sidewalks, bike paths, and bike racks are compact and enable more space for people, not cars.

Economic

Neighborhood shops benefit from visits by people walking and biking—they spend more time and more money supporting the local economy than people who drive. Plus, driving less means more money in your pocket from fewer car maintenance and gasoline costs.

Social

The more people are out of their cars and on the streets, the more opportunities they have to interact with each other. Going to community centers, parks, and shops in the neighborhood creates social cohesion (vs. driving to a mall far away), strengthens community identity, and puts “eyes on the street.”

IT'S ALL CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

Turn your short driving trips into a walk or bike ride and discover the people and places that make your neighborhood unique. Arlington has miles of trails, sidewalks, and bike lanes to take you to the closest park, shops, and restaurants, so go explore!

Resources

WalkArlington and BikeArlington have partnered to support people making neighborhood trips without having to drive and provide some tools for people new to biking and walking.