Getting There - On Foot, By Cycle - A Strategy To Advance
Last updated on
21/11/2008 11:46 a.m.
Walking and cycling in New Zealand transport
February 2005
Activity levels and health
Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of a host of health-related conditions, including heart disease, strokes, type-2 diabetes, obesity, some cancers, depression and osteoporosis.
The current
Adult New Zealand Guidelines for Physical Activity recommend 30 minutes per day of moderate-intensity physical activity on five or more days of the week. (
Movement = Health, Hillary Commission, 2001). Currently, over a third of New Zealanders are insufficiently active to benefit their health (Sport and Recreation New Zealand, 2002). Some health conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, are emerging as health issues for much younger age groups than were affected in the past.
Overall, physical inactivity is estimated to contribute to the deaths of 2600 New Zealanders each year (9% of all deaths). A 10% increase in the number of adults who are physically active would prevent around 600 premature deaths each year.(Tobias & Roberts, 2001).
Protecting and promoting public health
As a nation, we are becoming less physically active (see box insert). While walking and cycling remain popular leisure pursuits, our increasing use of cars for the short day-to-day transport trips that we used to make on foot or by bicycle is damaging our health.
By promoting walking and cycling as transport and by ensuring that our transport systems support walking and cycling for both transport and enjoyment,
Getting there - on foot, by cycle will support other Government strategies for health and active living and make an important contribution to building a healthier population.
Ensuring environmental sustainability
Walking and cycling are among the most environmentally friendly forms of transport. Unlike motor vehicles, they are non-polluting and use no fossil fuels.
Journeys made on foot or by cycle can free up road and parking space, helping to slow the need for further expensive investment in transport infrastructure for motor vehicles.
Currently, a significant proportion of our motor vehicle trips are over relatively short distances (for example, under two or three kilometres). Often these short trips involve 'cold starts', making them among the least environmentally efficient of motor vehicle trips. Encouraging a shift to emission-free modes of transport like walking or cycling for such trips will contribute to New Zealand meeting its climate change commitments under the Kyoto protocol.
Assisting economic development
Pedestrians and cyclists can provide benefits to local economies. People who walk and cycle often are more likely to 'shop local'. In town centres, pleasant walking environments can attract customers, helping provide the 'foot traffic' that is the lifeblood of many small businesses.
Tourism can also benefit from walking and cycling. Pleasant walking environments encourage tourists to stay longer and spend more. Cycle tourists tend to stay longer than those using other modes of transport, thus supporting local economies-often in regional New Zealand.
Assisting safety and personal security
From a road safety perspective, the safety of pedestrians and cyclists is a useful indicator of the overall safety of our urban roads. Not only will improved walking and cycling environments reduce road fatalities among pedestrians and cyclists, but road environments that are safer for pedestrians and cyclists also benefit public transport users and tend to be safer for motor vehicle use. In the longer term, it is possible that reduced motor vehicle traffic, resulting from shifts to walking, cycling, and public transport, may also help improve safety on our roads.
Community safety can also benefit from walking and cycling. Streets are safer with people in them. Walking and cycling help provide the 'eyes on the street' that help keep our neighbourhoods safe from crime.
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