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Written by Robert Morris

Category: Land Use

Published: 30 April 2019

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Active transportation is an umbrella term that describes all the ways people travel without using a motorized vehicle. The most common forms of active transportation are walking and bicycling. The term does not limit these activities to their recreational function, but instead considers them as healthy, sustainable, and practical ways to commute, run errands, connect to transit and carry out daily tasks, potentially reducing the need for private car ownership and improving the environment.

While active transportation may be perceived as a big city phenomenon, it plays an important role in communities of all sizes. Many small towns and rural areas across Ohio have completed or are pursuing a variety of active transportation efforts. These range from isolated improvements to county-wide active transportation plans, participation in the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Active Transportation Academy and Action Institute, bicycle and pedestrian data collection, and other strategies. Active transportation is an effective means of improving community health and quality of life in small towns and rural areas. Rural areas have higher rates of physical inactivity and chronic disease than urbanized areas. Traffic crashes and zero-vehicle households are also more common in rural areas. These facts demonstrate a clear need for improved walking and bicycling conditions outside major cities.

Marion County's Active Transportation efforts are led by the Built Environment Committee led by Marion Public Health, Regional Planning, and the City Engineering Department.  In January 2019 the Built Environment held a public workshop sponsored by Ohio Department of Transportation and Toole Design Group.  The workshop resulted in producing an Active Transportation Concept Map and Memorandum to help guide Marion City and County on Active Transportation projects for the next 5-10 years.

Marion County Active Transportation Concept Map and Memorandum

Below is the Marion City 10 mile Bike Route