Our dependence on the automobile has negatively affected our relationship with the natural world, has made scores of us unhealthy and overweight, and has made our cities congested and unsafe. As each year passes, it becomes increasingly apparent that our transportation system is not on a sustainable path.
In Canada, only 1.2% of Canadians bike to work, compared to the Netherlands at 27%. But when asked, 66% of Canadians said they would be willing to leave the car at home, if the appropriate infrastructure was in place. As you can see, there is enormous room for growth.
Did you know that each year, the average Canadian makes about 2,000 car trips when travelling less than 3 km - trips that could easily be made on foot or by bike! By choosing an active mode of transport for these short trips - walking, biking, or inline skating - we could achieve significant benefits for our health, the environment, and our country's economy.
Go for Green's 2004 Report, entitled The Business Case for Active Transportation outlines the economic, environmental, and health benefits of walking and cycling. This report concludes that even at today's low levels of daily use (7.8%), the benefits of active transportation are significant ($3.6 billion dollars per year). If we can increase the mode share of active transportation to 15.2% (that of Victoria), the benefits would increase to $7.0 billion a year.
The economic benefits of using Active Transportation (AT) are many-fold. In the area of transportation alone, there are decreased road maintenance costs, less costly infrastructure, less traffic congestion, increased road safety, and decreased user costs (maintenance of vehicles, gas, parking, etc.).
The health benefits of switching to AT include increased physical activity, reduced air pollution, and increased road safety. All of these result in better health for Canadians and decreased health care costs. Research has shown that exercising moderately for only 30 minutes a day reduces the risk of many different illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. And even if you only convert half of your short trips to walking or biking you'll be able to significantly reduce your carbon dioxide emissions.
The environmental benefits of AT are truly staggering. In Canada, the environmental cost of motor vehicle use is estimated at $14-36 billion per year. These costs include damage to the environment and to human health from air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and noise. Active modes of transport have zero emissions and can help to alleviate some of the negative effects of intense motorization. AT can also help contribute to national and global commitments in the area of climate change/global warming. In addition, AT can help save our green space from being eaten up by the parking lots and roads that automobile dependent communities require.
Active Transportation is a simple and obvious answer to many of the problems we face. It can help cut health care costs, meet our Kyoto obligations, and create sustainable, more livable communities. Nearly every sector of our society and economy stands to gain by embracing and promoting AT.
For more information on the economic, health, and environmental benefits of using Active Transportation, see Go for Green's "The Business Case for Active Transportation".
