This is where we will be laying out the ‘population’ level benefits of cycling. To give you the flavour of the thing, here are the major aspects it will cover:
Health
Cycling is healthy. The countries health costs are enormous. More people cycling = lower health costs
Pollution
Bicycles don’t pollute. Other forms of transport, such as cars, do. Pollution is high risk nowadays and costs us lots of money.
Congestion
The more people that cycle to get from A to B, the lower the congestion and associated costs.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure for cars, buses and trains costs a lot of money. Cycling infrastructure is comparatively ’cheap as chips’.
Community
Cycling around your neighbourhood creates a great sense of community, lowers crime and makes the streets a nice place to be.
Productivity
Regular exercise, particularly on the way to work, increases alertness and productivity once you arrive.
Adding it all up
The World Health Organization (WHO) has come up with a tool to help conduct an economic assessment of the health benefits of walking or cycling, by estimating the value of reduced mortality that results from specified amounts of walking or cycling.
The Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) can be used:
- when planning a new piece of cycling or walking infrastructure
- to value the reduced mortality from past and/or current levels of cycling or walking
- to provide input into more comprehensive economic appraisal exercises, or prospective health impact assessments
For more information or to use HEAT, go to:Â http://www.heatwalkingcycling.
