Town of Banff

Active Transportation

Health Benefits

• 2/3 of Canadians aren’t active enough to achieve the health benefits associated with daily physical activity. Commuting actively not only incorporates valuable exercise into one’s daily schedule, but eliminates the stress associated with driving in heavy traffic
• health care costs are reduced when people lead active lifestyles
• unlike motor vehicle transportation, active transportation emits none of the airborne particulates that exacerbate respiratory ailments

Environmental Benefits

• active modes of transportation are entirely nonpolluting
• active transportation modes help to alleviate traffic congestion, air pollution, noise, and the need for vehicle infrastructure such as increased numbers of roads and parking structures
• each motor trip that is switched to cycling or walking avoids releasing 2.6 grams of hydrocarbon, 367 grams of carbon dioxide, and 1.6 grams of nitrogen oxide per passenger mile

Economic Benefits

• the most energy efficient and least costly mode of transportation is muscle power
• providing a paved shoulder for cyclists = $50,000 to $100,000 per kilometer; widening a two-lane road to a four-lane road = $1.3 million per kilometer
• shifting to active modes of transportation results in huge savings in personal and family transportation costs (vehicle capital and operating costs)

Built Infrastructure Benefits

• a shift to active modes of transportation is conducive to more compact urban land use and requires less land for roadways and parking
• a roadway can carry 7 to 12 times more people per hour by bicycle than by cars at similar speeds
• pedestrian pathways can carry 20 times as many people per hour compared to cars in mixed traffic

Safety Benefits

• active transportation leads to reduced crime and a greater sense of personal and family security through the increased presence of walkers and cyclists providing “eyes” on the street
• 1995 U.S. data show 16.16 motor vehicle traffic-related deaths per 100,000 as compared to only 0.30 cyclist traffic-related deaths per 100,000

These facts taken from the Go for Green Active Living and Environment Program.

More information: Go for Green website