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UW researchers calculate biking benefits: $7 billion and 1,100 lives each year

Posted by Tom Held of the Journal Sentinel on Nov. 3, 2011

cycling, health

Residents in 11 Midwestern cities would generate $7 billion in improved air quality, reduced health care costs and increased physical fitness by biking rather than driving for roughly half their trips of five miles or less, according to the work of researchers at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

In addition, the decrease in air pollution and increase in fitness would save about 1,100 lives per year.

The findings of the team working at the Global Health Institute were published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. The calculations were based on computer models projecting reduced emissions, hospital visits and deaths if a moderate change to self-propelled travel would cut down residential vehicle use about 20%.

In the U.S. roughly 28% of all car trips are one mile or less, another 41% are two miles or less. Those short trips are particularly damaging, based on research that shows 25% of volatile organic compounds and 19% of particulate matter are emitted by cars in the first few minutes of operation.

The researchers concluded: “The current fossil fuel-based transportation system of the U.S. negatively impacts human health by increasing air pollution and automobile accidents and decreasing physical activity.

“Transport-related inactivity, i.e. the use of motorized transport rather than walking and bicycling, has been linked to increased mortality and decreases in healthy life years, with the greatest impacts on chronic diseases including heart disease, stroke, colon cancer, diabetes mellitus type 2, obesity, breast cancer, and osteoporosis.”

The health care savings would be generated through a reduction of roughly 93,607 emergency room visits and hospital emissions annually for respiratory symptoms and another 660 fewer cases of cardiovascular disease.

Roughly 425 lives would be prolonged via improved air quality and another 687 due to improved physical health from activity.

According to the study, nearly one-third of the U.S. population is fully inactive.

Cycling advocates touted the study during a news conference in Madison, and used it to support a push for more state dollars devoted building bike lanes.

“This study shows why Governor Walker and the Legislature should adopt the new bill sponsored by Rep. Mark Pocan and Senator Fred Risser to restore funding for bicycling to save lives, reduce health costs, cut traffic and save money,” said Rep. Brett Hulsey (D-Madison.). “It makes no sense for Governor Walker to slash bicycle funding when there are so many benefits, in addition to supporting the 13,000 jobs in the $1.5 billion Wisconsin bike industry.”

In the 2011-’13 budget, Walker and the Legislature eliminated $5 million in state transportation funding dedicated to cycling and pedestrians projects.

Pocan and Risser have introduced a bill to restore that funding.

Writing for the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, Dave Schlabowske pointed to the study findings as a call for greater personal responsibility.

“The citizens of our great country have a long and proud history of making personal sacrifices for the good of the nation in troubling times,” Schlabowske wrote. “Given we are already effectively rationing healthcare, perhaps it is once again time for our leaders to ask that people take more personal responsibility to reduce the cost of healthcare by making these very short trips on foot or by bike.”

73 Comments for "UW researchers calculate biking benefits: $7 billion and 1,100 lives each year"

  1. I bike everywhere, all year round, the cooler months are great times to bike, and the cold months are very doable with the right gear. In fact, I prefer them to hot hot summer months like july and august. Much BETTER biking weather. Besides, once you "beat" the winter weather, you feel really proud of yourself AND it gets you out and about during the winter months which are typically very sedentary for people.

    Great Research!

    Modra Nov 03, 2011 9:55 AM

  2. the WI state transportation budget is $6.5 billion/2011-2013.
    the Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee cut ALL the funding for sidewalks and bike paths/lanes - to zero.
    how is that representative of Wisconsinites?
    do zero Wisconsinites bike or walk to work?

    Greg F Nov 03, 2011 9:56 AM

  3. that quote is not from Tom, though it is not clear if that was your intent?

    Greg F Nov 03, 2011 9:58 AM

  4. I am with you! I bike everywhere I can rain or shine, snow or slush. It does feel great and keeps you active in the winter months. I take my kids to the grocery store, Target, school by bike when it's nice enough. It is doable and feels great to do. People can do what they want, but I choose to go by bike.

    Convinced of the Hex Nov 03, 2011 10:05 AM

  5. Yeah. Great addition to the conversation.

    Convinced of the Hex Nov 03, 2011 10:06 AM

  6. the study only considered 6 months of the year to be "good" riding weather

    Greg F Nov 03, 2011 10:08 AM

  7. and I guess bitterness and small mindedness runs millionaires lives?

    Greg F Nov 03, 2011 10:09 AM

  8. the study considered the effects of only 124 days of "good" biking. yesterday was not one of them.
    but it is a good one to point to to dog the study if you oppose it.

    Greg F Nov 03, 2011 10:12 AM

  9. why is it that certain people take everything to extremes? it's all or none. if you can't completely mitigate climate change, then it's not worth doing anything about it.

    sad. and not really helpful either.

    Greg F Nov 03, 2011 10:14 AM

  10. the WI state transportation budget for 2011-2013 is $6.5 Billion. the Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee eliminated ALL funding for sidewalks and bike paths/lanes.
    does that mean that NO Wisconsinites bike or walk to work? to shop? to school?
    shouldn't the public spending reflect the public's use of public resources?

    where in the Constitution does it say "the only transportation spending should be on internal-combustion engine vehicles"?

    Greg F Nov 03, 2011 10:17 AM

  11. Tom, I've challenged reporters before but never received a response. I respect your approach. Nice work.

    Mytakeis Nov 03, 2011 10:43 AM

  12. Biking to work is just such a time efficient way to get your daily exercise, which you really need. For more than 25 years I commuted 20 miles each day, through most of the year, and used maybe 20 minutes extra a day to exercise, rather than drive the car. For me that made more sense than driving to work and back home, then jumping in the car to drive to the "Y," and maybe spend an hour at the "Y" exercising. Plus biking is fun! Each day is a new day, and every day has positive benefits. Even if it is raining you know that tomorrow everything will be greener and brighter.

    BikerRon70 Nov 03, 2011 11:10 AM

  13. I asked the researcher. he said the total cost of the EPA study, of which this was one small part, was $600,000. So for less than $200,000 we got:
    jobs (for professors, grad students, etc.)
    education (for grad students, etc.)
    information for legislators making policy and budget decisions
    information for taxpayers considering transportation options

    I'd say it was worth less than 1/5 of the cost of 1 of the 400 or so Tomahawk cruise missiles (made by the tax cheats General Dynamics and Boeing) that we launched at Libya, no?

    Greg F Nov 03, 2011 11:44 AM

  14. you're clearly in the wrong city / neighborhood etc. perhaps cedarburg, brookfield, or some other place would better suit you. enough of the ad hominem. contribute something germain to the article. this isn't rocket science.

    Unreasonable Nov 03, 2011 11:47 AM

  15. It's all the naysayers that complain about the cost of bike lanes & refuse to believe bikers when we mention all the benefits, which leads to costly studies. Pure irony.

    MrsKC522 Nov 03, 2011 11:49 AM

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