Transcript Document 7293392

Go for Green …
… encourages outdoor physical activity that protects,
enhances, or restores the environment.
… works with organizations, businesses, governments
at all levels, and community groups
Active Living
Environmental
Citizenship
Go for Green programs
Active Transportation
In the Workplace
In the Community
Commuter Challenge
Active & Safe Routes to School
Ice Dreams
Trails Canada
Gardening for Life
Winter Green
Green Prescription
Transportation
Walking and cycling
infrastructure
Land use planning
Healthy active
population
Air Pollution
Health
Low dose
physical
activity
Green Spaces
Greenhouse Gases
Environment
Active Transportation includes…
all modes of transportation that require human power
walking, bicycling
wheel chairing
in-line skating
skateboarding
skating
skiing
Short trips - less than 30 mins
(2.5 km of walking, 8 km of cycling)
What are the issues?
Physical Inactivity
The personal health of Canadians is being compromised by
physical inactivity.

Two thirds of all Canadians are not physically active
enough to achieve health benefits. (Canadian Fitness and
Lifestyle Research Institute, 1999 and 2002)
Health of the Environment
The health of our environment is in danger from the negative impact
of our current lifestyles.

92% believe that environmental problems will affect the
health of future generations. (The 2003 International
Environmental Monitor: GlobeScan Inc )
Obesity rate by Country
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
USA
Canada
EU-15
Denmark
Germany
France
Italy
Men
Wom en
The Netherlands
Austria
Finland
Sweden
United Kingdom
Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Eurostat, Public
Health Statistics (from Eurobarometer 44-3).
Percentage of Urban Trips by Walking and Cycling in the USA,
Canada and Europe, 1995
50
45
40
Walk
18
35
21
25
22
29
28
24
20
24
4
4
France
Italy
9
10
Switzerland
4
10
Netherlands
2
12
Austria
6
1
England &
Wales
10
Canada
0
20
12
USA
5
28
Sweden
10
24
Bicycle
Denmark
15
Germany
Percent
30
Source: Pucher and Dijkstra, “Promoting Safe Walking and Cycling to Improve Public Health: Lessons from the
Netherlands and Germany,” American Journal of Public Health, September 2003, Vol. 93, No. 9, pp. 1509-1516.
35
60
30
50
25
40
20
30
15
20
10
10
O be s ity
W alk , Cycle , Public Trans it
Source: Pucher and Dijkstra, “Promoting Safe Walking and Cycling to Improve
Public Health, Am Journal of Public Health, September 2003.
D en m ark
N eth erlan d s
A u stria
S w ed en
G erm an y
Italy
F ran ce
U n ited K in g d o m
C an ad a
0
U SA
5
0
P e r c e nt o f W a lk, C y c le a nd P ublic T r a nsit
P e r c e nt o f O be sity
Does auto-dependency make us fat? Obesity falls
sharply with increased walking, cycling, and transit use.
Business Case for Active
Transportation
• Created as a follow-up to the first National
Roundtable on Active Transportation hosted by
Go for Green
• Outlines the economic, environmental and
health benefits of walking and cycling
Target
• Currently 6.6 % of Canadians walk to work and
1.2 % cycle, a combined total of 7.8 %
(Statistics Canada 2001 Census)
• Recommended increase of mode share to 10.4
% for walking and 4.8 % cycling for a combined
total of 15.2 % (current mode share for
Victoria, B.C.)
Total Economic Benefits
Total economic benefits of active
transportation at the current levels (7.8%)
are estimated at
$3.5 billion dollars per year.
If active transportation mode share for all
of Canada increases to 15.2%, the direct
benefits would increase to 7.0 billion
dollars per year.
Enhanced Health and Reductions
in Health Care costs
• Improved health and reduced health care costs
associated with physical inactivity, air pollution
and bodily injuries caused by motor vehicle
accidents
• Health care costs would be reduced by
$480,144,000 annually
Competitiveness of the
Economy
• Improved competitiveness of our economy
through reduced traffic congestion costs, and
improved workplace productivity measures.
• Anticipated $616,380,000 contribution to our
economy.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Reductions
If we reach an Active Transportation mode share
of 15.2% an equivalent of 3.3 million tonnes
of CO2 are not emitted into the atmosphere
annually.
One Tonne Challenge
Each commuter who switches to Active
Transportation could achieve nearly two-thirds of
the individual goal set under Environment
Canada’s “One Tonne Challenge”
(a reduction of 0.64 tonnes annually).
Reductions in Air Pollution
Each 1% of automobile travel
replaced by Active Transportation
decreases motor vehicle air pollution
emissions by 2% to 4%.
Total Environmental Benefits
The environmental benefits of using
active transportation including
reductions in greenhouse gas
emissions, air pollution, water pollution
and noise would total $636,272,000
annually.
Automobile User Savings
Total user savings for fuel, repair,
maintenance and parking of
automobiles would total
$1,995,136,000.
Tourism and Bicycling
• Bicycle sales and bicycle tourism currently
account for $637,168,000 annually.
• The projected value of this industry would be in
the billions of dollars annually.
Conclusion
• Many countries have significantly higher levels of Active
Transportation use indicating much room for growth in
Canada especially in cycling.
• A major barrier is the lack of safe, convenient facilities.
Legislation to promote and support Active Transportation
at all levels is critical.
• The economic benefits realized with a modest increase in
mode share are enough to support increased
government investment in Active Transportation.
How Can You Help?
• Ensure that any national communication and social
marketing campaigns developed within the PanCanadian Healthy Living Strategy contain messages
encouraging people to choose forms of Active
Transportation over the car to get to routine
destinations.
• Support the development of a National Active
Transportation Strategy.
• Include Active Transportation images and messages in
the proposed national “Physical Activity and Food Guide”.