This analysis evaluates the health and environmental benefits of a New Zealand active travel intervention. Investments in walking and cycling infrastructure yielded economic benefits, saving disability-adjusted life years and reducing cardiac disease, diabetes, and cancer incidence. The intervention also reduced transport-related carbon emissions, with a benefit-to-cost ratio of 11:1. Results indicate that substantial investment in active travel infrastructure can have measurable positive returns on health and environment.
Context and quantification
Timeline
[Annual]
About the policy
Area
Health, Climate Action
Instrument
Public investment, Health interventions
Intervention
Active travel support
Cost
None
Funding
Government funded
Institutional arrangement
None
Impacts
Stakeholders involved
Local health authorities
Stakeholders impacted
Public, Cyclists, Pedestrians
Wellbeing
Health
Justice consideration
Distributional
Metadata
| Lead author name | Ralph Chapman |
|---|---|
| Lead author gender | Male |
| Lead author institution | Victoria University of Wellington |
| Lead author institution location | New Zealand |
| Peer reviewed? | true |
| Grey literature? | false |
| Type of paper | Research article |
| Volume | 15 |
| Publication year | 2018 |
| URL / DOI | https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15050962 |
| Sufficiency mentioned? | false |