Road to Health: Health and Economic
Benefits of Active Transportation
ACT Canada Sustainable Mobility Summit
November 6, 2012
Toronto Public Health Project Team
Carol Mee, M.Ed, B.Sc.N., R.N.
Supervisor, Environmental Information and Education, Healthy Public Policy, Toronto Public Health
Shawn Chirrey, M.A., M.H.Sc.
Manager, Healthy Public Policy, Toronto Public Health
Rosie Mishael, B.A.Sc., M.H.Sc.
Health Promotion Consultant, Healthy Public Policy, Toronto Public Health
Acknowledgements
Key Study Participants and Advisors:
• City of Toronto Transportation Services - Dan Egan,
Christine Bouchard, Janet Lo, and Fiona Chapman
• Heart & Stroke Foundation - Matthew Mayer
• Ontario Medical Association, Kathryn MacKay and John
Wellner
• YMCA/Get Active Toronto - Catriona Delaney
• IndEco - David Heeney, Deborah Lightman, and Meghan
Winters
2
Outline
• Overview of
Road to Health
•
Using the results:
collaborating with
others
3
Road to Health: Improving
Walking & Cycling in Toronto
• Active Transportation (AT) as
means to improve health in
Toronto
• Benefits of walking and cycling
• Collisions, injuries and
fatalities and their costs
• Distribution of health benefits
and risks
• Strategies to increase walking
and cycling in Toronto
4
Health Burden of Obesity and
Injury
• Obesity increase the risk of
many chronic diseases
 Over 40% of adults in
Toronto were overweight or
obese (2008)
• Injuries
 Over 3,400 pedestrians and
cyclists are injured or die
each year from collisions
with motor vehicles
5
Travel Choices and Obesity
Rates
Table 1: Travel Options & Obesity - Toronto & Outer GTA
Variable
Toronto
Obese (BMI>30) (%)
18.2
Outer
GTA
24.6
Walk for utilitarian reasons (days/week)
3.4
1.7
Use Public Transit (days/week)
2.3
0.6
Use Automobile (days/week)
3.4
5.7
Vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT)
192
344
6
Health Benefits and Shifting
Modal Share
Population-level relationship between obesity and combined walking, cycling, and transit mode share
Source: Transport Canada (2010), data from Basset et al. (2008)
7
Health Benefits of Active
Transportation
• Decrease in CVD, type 2
diabetes, cancer
• Reduced morbidity & mortality
• Reduced air & noise pollution
• Reduced collisions
8
Social Benefits of Active
Transportation
• Neighbourhood safety
• Sense of community
• Real estate value
• Local economic activity
• Job creation
Photo: Parent, Worldneighbourhoods.com
9
Risks of Walking & Cycling in
Toronto
• Pedestrians account for more than
half of all fatalities from vehicle
collisions
• Cyclists account for 6% of injuries
from collisions, despite a mode share
of less than 2%
• Toronto is less safe for pedestrians
and cyclists than other cities
Photo: Parent, Worldneighbourhoods.com
10
Improving Walking and Cycling
in Toronto
• Only 5% of Toronto’s
transportation capital spent
on walking/cycling projects
• Toronto is making progress,
but lags behind other leading
cities in many ways
11
AT in Toronto vs. Other Cities
Walking mode shares
7.1%
Toronto
7.8%
Ottawa
12.3%
10.3%
10.3%
New York
San
Francisco
11.1%
8.6%
Montreal
Washington
Vancouver
5.8%
Cycling mode shares
3.7%
1.7%
Toronto
2.2%
2.2%
2.4%
Ottawa
Washington
Montreal
3.0%
San
Francisco
Vancouver
Portland
12
Quantifying the
health benefits of
active transportation
13
Potential Reductions in Mortality in
Toronto
Walking and cycling mode shares of 12% and 6% would
prevent at least 100 more deaths per year
Photo: Parent, Worldneighbourhoods.com
14
Economic Benefits of Active
Transportation
Reductions in congestion and
vehicle emissions
Economic benefits of physical activity
Increases in property value
Reductions in costs of pedestrian /
cyclist collisions
Increases in tourism, economic
activity and jobs
Increases in quality of life
15
Economic Benefits of Physical
Activity
Reduced
medical costs
Reduced
mortality
Increased
physical
activity
Reduced risk
of chronic
disease.
Reduced
economic
output loss
Reduced
medical costs
Reduced
morbidity
Reduced
economic
output loss
16
Collisions in Toronto
• Injure > 1,000 cyclists and 2,000 pedestrians each year
• $62 million in direct and indirect costs
Collisions per 1,000 active commuters
64
37
32
25
20
19
11
Toronto
Ottawa
Cyclists
Montreal
11
Vancouver
Pedestrians
17
Reducing the Costs of Collisions
Pedestrian Fatalities (%)
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
10
20
30
40
50
60
Impact Speed (km/h)
18
Road to Health: Key
Recommendations
• Reduce vehicle speeds
• Create advanced
crossings
• Increase funding for
infrastructure
• Set goals and targets for
increased safety and
mode shares
19
Using the Results:
Collaborating with
others
20
Creating an “Active City”
• Active Transportation
Demonstration program
 Collaboration with
Transportation Services
 Examine measures such as
reduced speed limits, traffic
calming, safer
intersections, etc. in
selected neighbourhoods
Photo: Parent, Worldneighbourhoods.com
21
Creating a Healthy City by Design
• The Walkable City – CLASP
partners, Transportation
Services
• Creating Healthy Built
Environment: Highlights of
Best Practices in Toronto –
Planning, Environment Office,
and others
• Road to Health: Improving
Walking and Cycling in Toronto
– Transportation Services
• Toward Healthier Apartment
Neighbourhoods - Planning,
Tower Renewal, United Way 22
For More Information
Toronto Public Health
Build Environment web
http://www.toronto.ca/health/hphe/built
_environment.htm
Carol Mee
cmee@toronto.ca
23