In 2015, Ms. Hoppe partnered with the Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority to conduct a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of Topeka Bike Share program. Bike Share provides bicycles for use by city residents, workers, and visitors for a fee. HIA is a six-step process for assessing how a proposed project, policy, or program could impact health. is six- step process was followed for this project to assess how the implementation and expansion of the Topeka bike share might impact the health and well-being of Topeka residents, workers, and visitors.

The HIA was conducted to specifically assess how the bike share could impact physical activity, safety, access to resources, and quality of life in the Topeka community. Ms. Hoppe coordinated closely with the Director of Bike Operations at Topeka Metro and the Kansas Health Institute on the project. Methods included:

• engaging the Board of Directors at Topeka Metro to identify the priority areas to focus on for the HIA (e.g. physical activity, etc.), using a scoping form developed by Ms. Hoppe following HIA protocols,

• conducting Cochrane systematic literature reviews for each priority area in relation to bike share and cycling,

• use of a modi ed literature scoring rubric originally developed by the Kansas Health Institute to rate the level

  of evidence in literature for the development of findings and recommendations,

• and creation of visual maps using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) so ware, ESRI ArcMap, to highlight opportunities and threats to community health and well-being, such as the proximity of healthy or less healthy resources relative to the bike share.

Ms. Hoppe coalesced the available evidence and organized the findings into recommendations for the Topeka Metro. This work resulted in:

• creation of a public report detailing findings and recommendations that informed decision-making at Topeka Metro related to the Bike Share program and its expansion,

• a formal research report with detailed methods presented to the Kansas University Medical Center faculty and Kansas Health Institute staff to inform future HIAs,

• dissemination of findings and recommendations through state and national conferences that highlighted Kansas public health,

• and utilization of the HIA report by Topeka Metro in grant applications that resulted in acquisition of funding to support expansion and operation of the Topeka Bike Share.

Throughout this extensive year-long project, Ms. Hoppe communicated regularly and as needed with Topeka Metro, Kansas Health Institute, and the Kansas University Medical Center. She regularly sought the expertise and feedback of sta and faculty at these institutions to inform the project and ensure its successful completion.