3P Programs Tactics

Organize walking, running, biking or other clubs to promote social support for physical activity.

Physical surroundings that promote walking and bicycling may not be enough to keep people moving.  Motivation through social support is also an essential, and often forgotten, ingredient needed to sustain a physical activity routine.  Clubs centered on physical activities such as walking, running or biking can make the activities a social highlight of the day, rather than a chore to accomplish.  To maintain attendance, some clubs establish "buddy systems" or make "contracts" with members that specify a goal amount of physical activity.

Start Safe Routes to School programs to encourage children to bicycle or walk to school.

Kids today have fewer opportunities to be physically active than in the past.  Few schools have daily physical education classes, and some elementary schools are even cutting recess from the schedule.  At home, children's entertainment increasingly consists of television programs and video games.  Safe Routes to School programs give kids an opportunity to be physically active, to practice safe pedestrian and bicycling skills, and to learn more about their environment. These programs also encourage people to work together to improve their neighborhoods in ways that make walking and bicycling a safe and enjoyable part of the school day.

Create commuter choice or other workplace incentive programs that promote the use of public transit, ridesharing and active forms of travel.

Commuter choice programs are offered by employers who wish to promote the use of alternative transportation.  Because they involve "active travel," alternative forms of transportation can promote physical activity and reduce the negative side effects of driving.  Walking and biking are obvious choices, but public transit also requires some physical activity.  Specific commuter choice incentives often aim to increase the convenience and cost-savings of alternative transportation modes. Examples include tax-free transit or vanpool benefits, compressed work schedules, bicycle accommodations including secure bicycle parking, lockers and showers, and other on-site amenities.  By offering commuter choice programs, employers can help employees build physical activity into their daily routines.

Target physical activity and fitness programs toward various segments of the community, such as youth, older adults, employees, women, people of color and people with disabilities.

Organized fitness programs can increase the opportunities and incentives for individuals to commit to regular physical activity.  Design programs with the interests, preferences and abilities of your target population in mind.  Consider holding programs at locations and times that would be effective in reaching your target groups.  Youth physical activity programs through schools or daycares, for example, might take place before, during or after school.  Older adults might be reached through programming at senior centers, while working adults might be targeted through employer-sponsored programs.  Successful programs often help participants set goals, build social support, and work on strategies to maintain physical activity habits.

Encourage more programs to take place at local parks, trails and greenways.

Public spaces such as parks, trails and greenways can be used as innovative program settings and outdoor classrooms for both children and adults.  Parks and other public neighborhood spaces provide opportunities to learn about natural history and wildlife in contexts that inspire the imagination, while allowing participants to engage in physical activity.  Programs such as historic neighborhood tours, art walks and nature walks have diverse appeal and may even promote tourism.  Still other outdoor outreach programs may be tailored specifically to reach diverse groups within the community, such as people with disabilities, at-risk youth, or the elderly.

Establish regular programs to attract people to a walkable town center.

Creating a town center that encourages activity and socialization is an important factor in establishing a community that is conducive to active living.  Instead of shutting down the town center after working hours as people head for their homes in outlying areas, introduce regular programs as one way to make the town center a more desirable social location.  In fact, regular programs should go hand-in-hand with physical revitalization projects that are designed to make the downtown a community gathering place where a mixture of housing, shops, restaurants and other civic buildings help to create safe walking environments.  Entertainment venues give people a reason to come downtown and can become recognizable trademarks in an area.  Sustained success of regular program venues may even attract more people to reside in town centers, thereby contributing to the strength and vitality of locations that are inherently conducive to active living.

Create bicycle maintenance, safety education and recycle programs.

Many people fail to consider bicycle transportation because they don't feel safe on the road, don't know how to maintain a bicycle for either regular use or in adverse situations such as flat tires or slipped chains, or can't afford to buy a bicycle.  Bicycle maintenance and safety programs can reduce reluctance about bicycle travel by teaching important skills and allowing participants to practice new skills in realistic settings, while recycle programs can increase general access to bicycles.  Some recycle programs refurbish donated bicycles and sell them at affordable prices, while other city-wide recycle programs designate a fleet of public bicycles that are free and available wherever they were left by the previous riders.  With greater access to bicycles and increased confidence in bicycle safety and maintenance, more people are likely to incorporate bicycle-based active travel into their transportation routines.

Start neighborhood watch and safety walks to create safe communities.

Children and adults can freely walk and bicycle through neighborhoods where residents don't worry about crime.  Neighborhood Watch programs deter crime by increasing street vigilance and opening lines of communication among residents and with law enforcement officials.  Often "block captains," or neighborhood leaders, hold meetings to build and maintain local safety coalitions.  Some safety groups also encourage residents to post Neighborhood Watch signs in their windows, and lobby city officials to install similar street signs.  In addition, some established Neighborhood Watch programs sponsor "safety walks," were neighborhood captains frequently lead groups on night walks through the neighborhood, complete safety gear such as flashlights and reflective vests.  The increased street presence promotes a safe, inhabited environment that discourages crime and increases the likelihood that residents will walk and bicycle more frequently.