Papers by Daniel A Rodriguez
North Carolina Medical Journal
background The Guide to Community Preventive Services recommends implementing community-and stree... more background The Guide to Community Preventive Services recommends implementing community-and street-scale urban design, as well as land use policies and practices, to promote walking and bicycling. To better understand barriers to municipal walking and bicycling projects and policies, we surveyed municipal staff in North Carolina. methods We surveyed all 121 municipalities with at least 5,000 persons, and 62% responded. We also surveyed 216 of 420 municipalities with less than 5,000 persons, and 50% responded. The municipal staff member most knowledgeable about walking and bicycling planning was asked to complete the survey. Responses were weighted to account for the sampling design, to reflect prevalence estimates for all North Carolina municipalities. results Common barriers to walking and bicycling projects and policies were selected from a 14-item list. For walking, barriers included lack of funding (93% of responding municipalities), other infrastructure priorities (79%), automobile infrastructure priorities (66%), and staffing challenges (65%). For bicycling, barriers included lack of funding (94% of responding municipalities), other infrastructure priorities (79%), automobile infrastructure priorities (73%), issues were not high priorities for the municipality (68%), staffing challenges (68%), and insufficient support from residents (63%). Barriers generally were more prevalent among rural municipalities than among urban municipalities (9 of 14 barriers for walking and 5 of 14 for bicycling; P < .10). limitations The study relied on 1 respondent to report for a municipality. Additionally, job titles of respondents varied with municipality size. conclusions Health professionals and multidisciplinary partners can assist in overcoming the common local-and state-level barriers to walking and bicycle projects and policies that are reported by North Carolina municipalities.
A growing body of literature finds that mixed-use development can affect trip frequency, trip len... more A growing body of literature finds that mixed-use development can affect trip frequency, trip length and mode choice. Though researchers have explored the general impacts of this type of development on travel, few have examined which specific land uses should be mixed to achieve transportation-related goals. This Master's Project addresses this gap in the literature, focusing on the influence of mixed land uses on utilitarian walking. Built environment data was related to utilitarian walking and total walking for individuals (n=251) in Montgomery County, Maryland. For a variety of land uses, exposure measures included the distance from participants' homes to the closest instance of each land use (presence), the number of instances of each land use within ½ and ¼ mile buffers of homes (intensity), and the number of different land uses present within ½ and ¼ mile buffers of homes (diversity). Distances to bus stops, fast food restaurants, grocery stores, Metro stations, office...
This paper explores the safety consequences of increasing truck driver pay. The test case the aut... more This paper explores the safety consequences of increasing truck driver pay. The test case the authors examine involves a large over-the-road truckload firm that on February 25, 1997, raised wages an average of 39.1%. An analysis that controls for demographic and operational factors, including prior driving experience and experience acquired on the job, suggests that for drivers employed during the lower pay regime and retained in the higher pay regime, crash incidence fell. A higher pay rate also led to lower separation probability, but this indirect effect only translated into fewer crashes by increasing the retention of older, more experienced drivers. These findings suggest that human capital characteristics are important predictors of driver safety, but that motivational and incentive factors also are influential. *Daniel A. Rodríguez is Assistant Professor of City
Cities in Latin America have become a catalyst for development in the region, and in this context... more Cities in Latin America have become a catalyst for development in the region, and in this context urban transport plays a decisive role in the consolidation of more equal, liveable and clean cities. However, increasing automobile ownership and use, combined with inappropriate territorial planning, can result in significant losses due to negative externalities. In this scenario, shared mobility presents a key opportunity to achieve more sustainable and efficient urban transport
Journal of sports sciences, Jan 30, 2018
This longitudinal study described park usage and assessed the contribution of parks to moderate t... more This longitudinal study described park usage and assessed the contribution of parks to moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among adolescent girls. High school girls from California (n = 131) and Minnesota (n = 134) wore a global positioning system (GPS) monitor and accelerometer for 6 consecutive days at two time points, one year apart. Park visits were classified by linking the GPS, accelerometer, and park and built environment data around home and school locations into a geographic information system. At baseline, 20% of girls visited a park at least once (mean 0.1 times/day), which was similar one year later (19%, mean 0.1 times/day). Girls lived a mean Euclidean distance of 0.2 miles to the nearest park at both times. Among all park visits, the mean Euclidean distance of the park visited was 4.1 (baseline) and 3.9 miles (follow-up). The average duration of park visits was higher at baseline (63.9 minutes) compared to follow-up (38.4 minutes). On days when a park was vi...
Urban Studies, 2014
In examining the association between environmental exposures and walking, conducting research on ... more In examining the association between environmental exposures and walking, conducting research on a neighbourhood scale has been the dominant approach whereas the association of the regional-scale environment with behaviours has rarely been explored. Because regional location and neighbourhood built environment attributes are likely to be correlated, the findings in neighbourhood-scale studies may be biased. In contrast to existing literature, this study is based on the assumption that a neighbourhood’s location may be associated with walking or physical activity and that this association may be separately identifiable from the influence of the neighbourhood built environment on behaviours. The findings indicated that residing in a highly urban location had a consistently positive association with walking and transportation-purpose physical activity when the neighbourhood built environment and individuals’ socio-demographic factors were controlled. Meanwhile the inclusion of the neig...
BMJ open, Jun 23, 2017
Active commuting - walking and bicycling for travel to and/or from work or educational addresses ... more Active commuting - walking and bicycling for travel to and/or from work or educational addresses - may facilitate daily, routine physical activity. Several studies have investigated the relationship between active commuting and commuting stress; however, there are no studies examining the relationship between solely bicycle commuting and perceived stress, or studies that account for environmental determinants of bicycle commuting and stress. The current study evaluated the relationship between bicycle commuting, among working or studying adults in a dense urban setting, and perceived stress. A cross-sectional study was performed with 788 adults who regularly travelled to work or study locations (excluding those who only commuted on foot) in Barcelona, Spain. Participants responded to a comprehensive telephone survey concerning their travel behaviour from June 2011 through to May 2012. Participants were categorised as either bicycle commuters or non-bicycle commuters, and (based on t...
Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2011
Background:We surveyed North Carolina (NC) municipalities to document the presence of municipal w... more Background:We surveyed North Carolina (NC) municipalities to document the presence of municipal walking- and bicycling-related projects, programs, and policies; to describe whether prevalence of these elements differed if recommended in a plan; and to characterize differences between urban and rural municipalities.Methods:We surveyed all municipalities with ≥ 5000 persons (n = 121) and sampled municipalities with < 5000 persons (216/420), with a response rate of 54% (183/337). Responses were weighted to account for the sampling design.Results:From a list provided, staff reported on their municipality’s use of walking- and bicycling-related elements (8 infrastructure projects, 9 programs, and 14 policies). The most commonly reported were projects on sidewalks (53%), streetscape improvements (51%), bicycle/walking paths (40%); programs for cultural/recreational/health (25%), general promotional activities (24%), Safe Routes to School (24%), and law enforcement (24%); and policies o...
Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 2015
Understanding how the built environment at a neighborhood scale is associated with individuals... more Understanding how the built environment at a neighborhood scale is associated with individuals' walking has been a common research objective in public health and city planning. In contrast to the extant literature, we examine whether a neighborhood's location defined at a regional scale is associated with walking and whether this association is separately identifiable from the association of the neighborhood built environment and walking. The findings indicated that walking for commuting purposes was associated more strongly with neighborhood location than with the neighborhood built environment, whereas walking for shopping-eating purposes had a stronger association with the neighborhood built environment. The results suggest that, without the provision of better public transportation services to suburban neighborhoods, walkable neighborhood development in suburbs may not be successful for encouraging walking for commuting.
Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2014
Journal of Transport and Land Use, 2015
The proportion of teens and young adults with driver's licenses has declined sharply in many indu... more The proportion of teens and young adults with driver's licenses has declined sharply in many industrialized countries including the United States. Explanations for this decline have ranged from the introduction of graduated driver licensing programs to the increase in online social interaction. We used a longitudinal cohort study of teenage girls in San Diego and Minneapolis to evaluate factors associated with licensure and whether teens' travel patterns become more independent as they age. We found that licensure depended not only on age but also on race and ethnicity as well as on variables that correlate with household income. Results also showed evidence that teen travel became more independent as teens aged, and that acquiring a license is an important part of this increased independence. However, we found limited evidence that teens' travel-activity patterns changed as a result of acquiring a driver's license. Rather, teen independence resulted in less parental chauffeuring but little shift in travel patterns. For the larger debate on declining millennial mobility, our results suggest the need for more nuanced attention to variation across demographic groups and consideration of the equity implications if declines in travel and licensure are concentrated in low-income and minority populations.
ILR Review, 2006
This paper explores the safety consequences of increasing truck driver pay. The test case the aut... more This paper explores the safety consequences of increasing truck driver pay. The test case the authors examine involves a large over-the-road truckload firm that on February 25, 1997, raised wages an average of 39.1%. An analysis that controls for demographic and operational factors, including prior driving experience and experience acquired on the job, suggests that for drivers employed during the lower pay regime and retained in the higher pay regime, crash incidence fell. A higher pay rate also led to lower separation probability, but this indirect effect only translated into fewer crashes by increasing the retention of older, more experienced drivers. These findings suggest that human capital characteristics are important predictors of driver safety, but that motivational and incentive factors also are influential.
Journal of Transport Geography, 2014
This study investigates to what extent a mismatch between residential preferences and actual resi... more This study investigates to what extent a mismatch between residential preferences and actual residential locations is associated with residents' physical activity and walking. The residents of Montgomery County, MD, and Twin Cities, MN, were classified into four residential subgroups, and their walking and physical activity outcomes were compared. The results showed that, for transport activity and walking outcomes, participants living in a urban location and preferring a urban environment were more likely to be active than those who lived in a suburban location and preferred a suburban environment. In a highly dense region, the influence of preferences might be overridden by the characteristics of neighborhood locations. With respect to recreation activity, no significant associations were found regarding neighborhood locations or preference for neighborhood environment.
Urban Studies, 2010
This study proposes an alternative approach to estimate excess travel using activity diaries, ext... more This study proposes an alternative approach to estimate excess travel using activity diaries, extending it to non-work travel and capturing interhousehold variation. Central to this approach is a residential relocation exercise that helps to decompose the amount of travel by a household into two types of travel: required and excess travel. An empirical demonstration of the approach in North Carolina shows that on average 30 per cent of households’ travel in the study area is in excess. Furthermore, lower levels of required and excess travel are found among households living in neighbourhoods with more compact development patterns, suggesting that households in such neighbourhoods are able to concentrate daily destinations in relatively smaller geographical areas and achieve better spatial co-ordination between residential and activity locations. Results also indicate that households make trade-offs between travel efficiency and neighbourhood amenities such as security and school qua...
Urban Studies, 2008
Using an ecological framework, this paper examines the body mass index (BMI), physical activity a... more Using an ecological framework, this paper examines the body mass index (BMI), physical activity and travel behaviour of household heads in a US new urbanist neighbourhood relative to household heads of comparable conventional suburban US neighbourhoods. Using a quasi-experimental design, a new urbanist neighbourhood and five conventional suburban neighbourhoods were matched on age of development, assessed property values and regional accessibility. Self-reported height, weight, physical activity and travel behaviours were obtained from the household heads in each neighbourhood type. No direct association was detected between neighbourhood type and BMI. However, household heads of single-family dwellings in the new urbanist neighbourhood have lower BMI partly due to the number of utilitarian trips made by walking or bicycling. This relationship is independent of physical activity time. Although small in magnitude, this association may have appreciable morbidity effects at the populat...
Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2009
Few studies have examined the relationship between micro-scale features of the built environment ... more Few studies have examined the relationship between micro-scale features of the built environment and street segment usage. Micro-scale features of the built environment include the width of the sidewalk, the presence of amenities such as benches and trash bins, and the ...
Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2008
Despite emerging evidence about the association between the built environment and travel behavior... more Despite emerging evidence about the association between the built environment and travel behavior, the relationship between bus transit demand and urban form remains largely unexplored. By relying on primary and secondary data analyzed with a geographic information system, this paper examines the built environment characteristics related to stop-level ridership for Bogotá's successful bus rapid transit system. After accounting experimentally and statistically for the simultaneity between transit supply, transit demand, and the built environment, we find evidence of the importance of the built environment in BRT station boardings. Specifically, environmental supports for walking and personal and environmental barriers to car use were related to higher BRT boardings. Our results underscore the importance of urban environmental interventions to support transit use.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2011
this study developed and tested algorithms to identify outdoor walking trips from portable global... more this study developed and tested algorithms to identify outdoor walking trips from portable global positioning system (GPS) units in free-living conditions. the study included a calibration and a validation phase. For the calibration phase, we determined the best algorithm from 35 person-days of data. Measures of agreement regarding the daily number and duration of diary-reported and GPS-identified trips were used. In the validation phase, the best algorithm was applied to an additional and separate 136 person-days of diary and GPS data. the preferred algorithm in the calibration phase resulted in 90% of trips identified from the GPS data being found in the diary, whereas 81% of trips reported in the diary being found in the GPS data. The preferred algorithm used 1) a maximum 3-min gap between points to define a trip, 2) at least 5 min or more of continuous GPS points, 3) a speed range between 2 and 8.0 km·h, 4) at least 30 m of displacement between the start and end points of a trip, and 5) merged walking trips when the time gap between trips was less than 3 min. With the validation data, substantial agreement between the GPS and the diary was achieved, with 86% of trips identified from the GPS data found in the diary and 77% of trips reported in the diary found in the GPS data. the algorithm identified free-living walking trips of more than 5 min in duration. The ability to identify outdoor walking trips from GPS data can be improved by reducing recording intervals used in the GPS units and monitoring participant compliance. Further research is desirable to determine whether concurrent wearing of an accelerometer may improve the ability to detect walking more accurately.
Journal of Urban Design, 2008
... Title: Space Syntax and Walking in a New Urbanist and Suburban Neighbourhoods. Accession Numb... more ... Title: Space Syntax and Walking in a New Urbanist and Suburban Neighbourhoods. Accession Number: 01129464. Language: ... It also finds a consistent positive relationship between total utilitarian walking and 2 of the space syntax variables, control and global integration. ...
Health Promotion Practice, 2011
A pedestrian plan is a public document that explains a community’s vision and goals for future pe... more A pedestrian plan is a public document that explains a community’s vision and goals for future pedestrian activity. This study explored whether involvement by public health professionals in the development of pedestrian plans was associated with certain characteristics of the plan (vision, goals, identified programs, and evaluation). This study identified, collected, and analyzed content of all pedestrian plans in North Carolina through 2008. Among the 46 plans, 39% reported involvement by public health professionals in their development. Overall, 72% of pedestrian plans included a vision statement; health was mentioned four times and quality of life was mentioned five times. Slightly more than half (52%) of the plans included goals to improve public health. Plans that involved public health professionals more often included the type of physical activity, safety, or education program. Only 22% of all pedestrian plans included a proposal to evaluate their implementation. Plans that i...
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Papers by Daniel A Rodriguez