Suitability of commuting by bicycle to Arizona elementary schools.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the biking suitability (i.e., bikeability) of and prevalence of biking in 14 elementary schools representing two extremes of bused students (2.4% vs. 53.6%).


METHODS
Street segments (within 0.25-mile radius of school) were scored for bikeability. Bikes in racks per school student population established biking prevalence. Mann-Whitney U-test compared bikeability and prevalence of biking between groups.


RESULTS
A total of 12.5 +/- 2.2 streets per school were assessed. Thirteen schools scored very good (< 3.0) and one scored fair (4.0-4.9). Median bikeability score was 0.69 for the low-busing schools and 0.53 for the high-busing schools (nonsignificant). Median biking prevalence was 3.1% in the low-busing schools and 1.3% in the high-busing schools (p < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Streets surrounding schools were adequate for biking. Biking prevalence was significantly higher in low-busing schools but was relatively low in both low- and high-busing schools. Other factors, including intraindividual, social, school, and community, likely contribute to choice of biking to school.
Sisson
Susan B
SB
Department of Exercise and Wellness, Arizona State University East, Mesa, Arizona 85212, USA. susan.white@asu.edu
Lee
Sarah M
SM
Burns
Elizabeth K
EK
Tudor-Locke
Catrine
C
D001130:Arizona; D001642:Bicycling; D006801:Humans; D012574:Schools; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods*