Active transportation and social capital: The association between walking or biking for transportation and community participation.

Active transportation provides benefits to communities and individuals, yet little is known about its relationship with social capital. This study examined relationships between active transportation behavior and three indices of social capital (community participation, sense of community, and sociopolitical control). Linear regression was used to assess cross-sectional data (N = 1700) from the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin, a population-based representative sample collected in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Active transportation was associated with greater levels of community participation (p = 0.012). The association between active transportation and community participation was the third largest in terms of standardized coefficient (β = 0.07), following only age and college degree or greater educational attainment. Active transportation was not significantly associated with sense of community or sociopolitical control. All models controlled for confounding background characteristics. These findings are important for policy and planning work, as designing supportive environments and removing barriers to active transportation can foster social capital through bolstering community participation. The benefits of active transportation may be broader than previously understood and underscore the need to promote active transportation.