A report on transport and air quality has just been released:
Determination of personal exposure to traffic pollution while travelling by different modes
November 2011
It can also be found on the NZTA website
The research has been conducted in Auckland and Christchurch, which is great as we often have to rely on international research about these things. It has some very interesting findings but I am particularly pleased to note that:
Significant differences in pollution exposure are apparent for people travelling on different transport modes. For journeys deemed typical for urban New Zealand, the exposure of cyclists to traffic/related air pollution was significantly lower than that of car or bus users. This research also makes it clear that the exposure of cyclists can be substantially reduced further by providing cyclists with spatial separation from vehicle exhausts, and that substantial benefits can be achieved by relatively small degrees of separation (5–10m).
So to recap:
- Cycling doesn’t add to air quality problems. In fact if more people cycled, there would obviously be less people using cars and producing air pollution.
- You breath in less pollution and toxic chemicals whilst cycling than using any other form of transport, which is very good news for health costs, and
- by regular gentle exercise you are healthier and fitter than the average non-cyclist, which is also very good news for the health system.
So, tell me again why we aren’t covering Auckland with separated cycling infrastructure?
Did they crib that from my post??? Even the comment about just a little separation making a lot of difference was there
http://cyclingauckland.co.nz/general/2011/11/its-infrastructural-why-the-northwestern-works/
Thanks for that, Unity – this is indeed great to have that research locally.
NZTA fund the research but ignore the findings. There seems to be no shortage of research to conclude that cycling is a winner. So why is cycling not flourishing in Auckland?
http://cyclingauckland.co.nz/general/2011/04/cyclists-face-least-exposure-to-traffic-fumes-its-official/
Mark, you DO realise that NZTA is legally bound to do what the Minister of Transport tells them to? That HE makes the money decisions. The main blame lies there, in Wellington. Not with NZTA.
Kiwis had their chance to fix that a week ago. They didn't. We will have to live with that for another couple years.
So stop ragging on about NZTA. I work a lot with them, and they are good folks, most of the time. For every one who doesn't care about cycling, you meet one who'd design for cyclists if told to, and one who's really keen to help, but can't get anything funded.