Increasing walking and cycling A briefing for Local Authority Directors of Transport

Key Messages: More walking and cycling reduces congestion Walking and cycling achieve transport, health, and environmental objectives Walking and cycling are safe Walking and cycling interventions are cheap and cost effective We know what needs to be done

More walking and cycling reduces congestion Congestion is a major transport problem – 87% of people think congestion is a ‘serious problem for the country’ (ONS, 2007) – Congestion costs £10bn per year in urban areas (Sustrans 2013) Many short car journeys could be made by bike or walking – 64% of all trips are made by car (DfT 2010a) – 20% of trips under one mile are made by car (DfT 2010) Fewer cars on the roads also mean fewer parking problems and fewer cars circulating, hunting for spaces

Walking and cycling achieve transport, environmental and health objectives Reduces congestion Improves local air quality Reduces CO2 emissions Improves road safety Improves public health Increases social interaction Improves the public realm Improves quality of life

Walking and cycling are safe Safety is improving – In 2006, the fatality rate for pedestrians was 54% lower than the 1980 level – for pedal cyclists it was 46% lower (DfT 2008) The real risks are low – one death per 33 million km cycled (CE 2007) More cycling and walking increases safety – Evidence of ‘safety in numbers’ (Jacobsen 2003, Robinson 2005) The benefits outweigh the risks – Multiple studies show physical activity benefits outweigh the risks by at least 10 to one (see next slide)

Benefits and risks studies ‘The health benefits are 11 times larger than the risks relative to car driving’ (De Hartog et al 2011) ‘concern about pollution exposure is unfounded when compared to the benefits of the cycling activity’ (Rabi et al 2012) ‘the greatest potential for health gain is by improving the walking environment and and supporting the most energy efficient form of transport – the bicycle’ (Woodcock et al 2011) Physical activity benefits far outweigh risks due to road traffic injury or air pollution (see panel) (Rojas-Rueda et al 2011)

Walking and cycling interventions are cheap and cost effective (1) One km of motorway costs £14-21 million (Hansard 2007) – Even ‘best’ Dutch-style cycle highways cost only £400,000 per km (Cycle Embassy 2012) Benefit cost ratios for walking and cycling schemes are far higher than most road schemes – eg UK Cycling Towns were found to have a benefit:cost ratio of to 1 (DfT 2010b) – World Health Organization’s Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) can be used to calculate the value of walking and cycling programmes (WHO 2010) – HEAT approach is endorsed by DfT’s WebTAG process

Walking and cycling interventions are cheap and cost effective (2) Area-wide 20mph schemes can be particularly cost-effective Promotional and other programmes also cost-effective – Eg NICE found cycling demonstration towns; sustainable travel tows and Travelsmart cost effective (NICE 2012)

We know what needs to be done Government guidance – Dept for Transport Guidance – Manual for Streets (DfT 2007) NICE guidance – NICE guidance on environment and physical activity (NICE 2008) – NICE guidance on walking and cycling (NICE 2012) Best practice – eg Travelsmart; Cycling Towns; Sustainable Travel Towns; 20 mph zones; – Local Sustainable Transport Fund guidance Academic evidence – eg Reviews in the British Medical Journal on walking and cycling (Ogilvie et al 2007, Yang et al 2010)

Issues for action Modifying the environment to support walking and cycling Commissioning ‘smarter choices’ programmes to encourage modal shift from the car Improving road safety for walkers and cyclists There is a wide variety of approaches that can be taken, according to local conditions and policies; one size does not fit all.

Ideas for action Lead by example: does the authority have a workplace travel plan? Is it implemented? Ensure cycling and walking are central to the local transport plan. Make your town an active town Make strong links to the public health team: link transport and physical activity/obesity strategies and the joint strategic needs assessment (JSNA) Apply planning policy on new developments to encourage sustainable transport Encourage staff to use the WHO HEAT tool. WHO provide free online training

Example In Bristol, a transport and health expert is employed by the local authority to make links between transport and public health professionals In Leicestershire, a transport professional is embedded within the public health team to emphasise the health components of transport planning and promote active travel In Hereford, a learning set on active travel initiated by the public health team helped to increase the profile of active travel in their latest Local Transport Plan (2013)

Example: Across a town of 150,000 people, if everyone walked an extra 10 minutes a day, the HEAT model estimates: – 31 lives saved – Current value of £30m per year

References Cycling Embassy of Great Britain Dutch Cycle Infrastructure. Cycling England Cycling and Health: what’s the evidence? De Hartog et al Travel-time air pollution exposure, energy expenditure and health outcomes: use of new technologies. Epidemiology. 22:1 ppS76-S77 Department for Transport. Road Casualties in Great Britain - Main Results London: Transport Statistics, DfT Manual for Streets. London. Dept for Transport DfT 2010 (b). Cycling Demonstration Towns. Development of Cost benefit ratios. DfT 2010 (c). National Travel Survey. DfT 2010a. How People Travel. National Travel Survey Hansard Daily Hansard Written Answers. 29 March Column 169tW. Jacobsen, P. (2003). Safety in numbers: more walkers and bicyclists, safer walking and bicycling, Injury Prevention, 9, pp Living Streets. Making the Case for investment in the walking environment Manton R, Clifford E. (2011) Cycling Ireland to work. throughhttp:// through NICE 2008 Physical activity and the environment. NICE 2012 Walking and cycling local government briefing - and the walking and cycling pathway and the walking and cycling pathway NICE Walking and cycling guidance. recreation-ph41http://publications.nice.org.uk/walking-and-cycling-local-measures-to-promote-walking-and-cycling-as-forms-of-travel-or- recreation-ph41 NICE walking and cycling pathway Ogilvie D, Foster CE, Rothnie H, Cavill N, Hamilton V, Fitzsimons CF, et al. Interventions to promote walking: systematic review. BMJ 2007;334(7605):1204 ONS ONS Omnibus Survey (Oct/Nov 2007) cited in DfT (2008) Public Attitudes To Congestion and Road Pricing. London. Dept for Transport Rabl A, de Nazelle A. Benefits of shift from car to active transport. Transport Policy. 19 (2012) Robinson DL Safety in Numbers in Australia. Health Promot J Austr Apr;16(1): Rojas-Rueda D, de Nazelle A, Tainio M, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ. The health risks and benefits of cycling in urban environments compared with car use: health impact assessment study. BMJ Aug 4;343:d4521. Sustrans Sustrans Tolley Good for business. The benefits of making streets more walking and cycling friendly. Heart Foundation WHO World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. The Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) for walking and cycling. Woodcock J, Banister D, Edwards P, Prentice AM, Roberts I. Energy and Health 3; Energy and Transport. The Lancet Sep 22; 370(9592): Yang L, Sahlqvist S, McMinn A, Griffin SJ, Ogilvie D. Interventions to promote cycling: systematic review. BMJ 2010;341:c5293. Further Reading Cycling and Health. What’s the evidence? Cycling England CfIT Sustainable Transport Choices and the Retail Sector (2006) Take Action on Active Travel. Why a shift from car-dominated policy would benefit public health. Sustrans Living Streets. Making the Case for investment in the walking environment Other excellent information and help is available from organisations such as British Cycling, CTC, Living Streets, Ramblers, Sustrans, and others.

Acknowledgements The slide sets were researched and written by Dr Nick Cavill, an independent public health consultant Drafting was overseen by an ‘Active Travel and Health group’, which was a sub-group of the Cycling Forum. Members were: – Beelin Baxter, Department of Health – Tony Armstrong, Living Streets – Simon Barnett, Living Streets – Jackie Brennan, British Cycling – Hugo Crombie, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – Phillp Darnton, Bicycle Association – Adrian Davis, Independent consultant – Des de Moor, Ramblers – Stephanie Dunkley, Leicester City NHS – Julia Ellis, Association of Directors of Public Health – Roger Geffen, CTC – Alison Hill, South East Public Health Observatory – Phillipa Hunt, Living Streets – Philip Insall, Sustrans – Patrick Lavery, Department for Transport – Carlton Reid, BikeBiz – Lynn Sloman, Transport for Quality of Life – Paul Stonebrook, Department of Health – Shane Snow, Department for Transport This presentation is part of a set of three, aimed at different target audiences in local authorities: – Directors of Public Health – Directors of Transport – Elected members Two alternate versions of the presentation are available – Without logos, for you to customise – Without photos, on plain backgrounds – Contact for Draft 01 May 2013