Physical Activity through Sustainable Transport Approaches in Los Angeles (PASTA-LA)

The Challenge

Physical activity (PA) improves the quality of life and health and is closely linked to the built environment. To promote sustainable and active living in communities, many cities are implementing bike sharing programs. These programs provide co-benefits of reduced emissions by decreasing vehicle miles traveled (VMT). However, no study has been conducted locally to quantify and assess the impacts on PA patterns and health. PASTA-LA, a sister-study of the European Union PASTA project, will be the first and only study outside of Europe to explore the health-related outcomes of bike share in Los Angeles, California. 

The Solution

The PASTA-LA project is a longitudinal, before-and-after study on UCLA's Bruin Bike Share program launched in Fall 2017. It aims to evaluate the health benefits and risks of utilizing bike share in n=400 subjects over two phases (Fall 2017 and Fall 2019). A subsample of n=150 will be UCLA/Westwood employees and staff so that worker-specific health outcomes are also explored. The project will collect data using three distinct methods: a smartphone application ("MOVES"), a web-based travel survey, and wearable global positioning system (GPS)/accelerometer devices. Researchers will combine these data on travel behaviors and routes to estimate temporal-spatial PA patterns and the resulting health impacts. Overall, the project will help inform future bike sharing initiatives in Los Angeles County to ensure  county-wide health and environmental benefits are maximized. 

Additional Outcomes to Date

Additional project funding secured from:  

• Center for Occupational and Environmental Health  
• Healthy Campus Initiative, Built Environment Working Group (HCI-BEWell) 
• Southern California Environmental Research Center 
• UCLA Transportation Department