Happy, Healthy, Wealthy and Wise
Wheel Life column - 14 August, 1999
by Todd Litman and Suzanne Kort - Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Today's map illustrates the section of the Galloping Goose trail from Vic West to Swan Lake. For a pleasant stroll through the wildlife sanctuary (cycling is forbidden on the trails), leave your bike at the racks where the trail crosses Saanich Road. Stop at the Nature House at the north end of the lake to learn more about the local environment. Bring snacks for a pleasant lakeside picnic.

If you visit next Wednesday, August 18, from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m., you can participate in Waders, Dabblers and Divers, a naturalist-led educational program about local birdlife, suitable for children and adults.

Adventures such as this can make you happy, healthy, wealthy and wise. How?
First, let's start with happy. What makes you happy? How about a pleasant bicycle ride, or walking on a wilderness trail? Do you want to see tonnes of happiness? Just watch the flow of trail users crossing the Selkirk Trestle.

The truth is, despite billions of dollars spent on advertising to convince us that happiness requires a new car, motor vehicles are nothing to get excited about. You pay, you sit, you steer. There is, frankly, little joy in fighting traffic. Cars are certainly useful, but avoid being sucked in by the marketing.

Have you noticed how frequently bicycles are used to sell cars? Car advertisements often show a bicycle in the foreground and the vehicle in the background. Showroom vehicles sport roof racks with bicycles. Some new cars even come with a bicycle. Our advice is to take the bike - leave the car.

How about health? Fitness requires about half an hour of moderate exercise five times a week. This helps prevent many diseases, maintain optimal weight, strengthen muscles and bones, and helps you feel good. Any combination of aerobic activity works: walking, cycling, running, swimming, dancing, or an active sport like volleyball. Mix and match them however you like, just do something nearly every day.

Most folks get too little exercise. How about you? How about your partner or the children in your life? How about your elderly friends and relatives? If you care about them, get them moving!

So, what does it take to be active? Convenience is key. Many experts consider walking and cycling ideal forms of aerobic exercise, and one of the most practical because you can integrate them into regular daily activities, such as commuting and running errands.

This suggests that our communities need to rethink transportation priorities to insure that walking and bicycling are convenient, safe and attractive for people of all ages and abilities. Why do there always seem to be resources for cars, but never enough for walking and bicycling?

Here's an example. Where is the most valuable real estate in Victoria? The Inner Harbour waterfront, of course. It must be worth millions of dollars per hectare. And how is it being used? About half the shoreline along Wharf Street is car parking. What a waste! Do the cars appreciate the dramatic view? Do they spend money? This could be a lovely waterfront promenade vibrant with community and commercial activities, but instead it's devoted to vehicle storage. Where are our priorities?

That leads us nicely to wealth. Why is it that although our society is materially richer than our ancestors ever thought possible, many hard-working families feel poor? One of the answers is automobile dependency. The average household devotes a fifth of its expenditures directly to cars, and bears hundreds of dollars per year in indirect costs, such as residential parking and roadway roads. There's money to be saved by changing our transportation habits to reduce automobile dependency.

Wisdom is a difficult goal to achieve. It requires that our lives be balanced, and our thoughts clear and considerate. We think one of the best ways to develop wisdom is to walk and bicycle more, and drive less.