title: Cycling in the city: an in-depth examination of bicycle lane use in a low-income urban neighborhood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Regular physical activity such as biking can help prevent obesity and chronic disease. Improvements in cycling infrastructure are associated with higher overall cycling rates, but less is known about bike lane utilization in low-income urban neighborhoods.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the summer of 2009, 4 Central Brooklyn streets with bicycle lanes were studied using camcorders to record for a total of 40 hours. Video recordings were coded for behaviors and characteristics of cyclists and motorists. An intercept survey (N = 324, 42% participation rate) captured information on cyclist demographics, behaviors, and attitudes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1282 cyclists were observed on study streets. Cyclists were primarily male (80.0%) and non-White (54.5%). 9.9% of motorists drove in the bike lane and parked vehicles blocked the bike lane for 9.6% of the observational period. Of cyclists surveyed, 69.4% lived locally, 61.3% were normal weight or underweight, and 64.8% met recommended levels of physical activity by cycling 30+ minutes/day on 5+ days of the past week.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bicycle lanes were used by local residents of a low-income urban neighborhood. Compared with neighborhood residents overall, cyclists reported better health and health behaviors. Enhancing infrastructure that supports active transportation may be effective in reducing health inequities in low-income urban communities.
authors.affiliation: Brooklyn District Public Health Office, New York City Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene, Brooklyn, NY.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Noyes
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Karen K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Victoria E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Grimshaw
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karpati
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: DiGrande
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001642:Bicycling / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002947:Cities; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006260:Head Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015438:Health Behavior; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011204:Poverty Areas; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014741:Video Recording