The Benefits of Walking & BikingCreating places where people can walk and bike safely and more conveniently benefits communities in a multitude of ways. These benefits can be categorized by the topics of health, environment, and economy - with many of the positive impacts overlapping. Below are a few examples of how walking and bicycling (and the development of greenways in particular) creates more livable communities.
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Health
- Sixty-five percent of adults in North Carolina are either overweight or obese.[i] The state is also ranked 5th worst in the nation for childhood obesity.[ii]
- Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) of three North Carolina communities (Sparta, Raleigh and Winterville) demonstrate the connection between bicycle and pedestrian facilities, increased physical activity, and health outcomes.[iii] In all three communities, the HIAs predict that building sidewalks and other pedestrian facilities increase community physical activity rates, which in turn lead to lower risks of coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and early death.
- A Charlotte, NC, study found that residents who switched to walking to and using light rail for their commute weighed an average of 6.5 pounds less than those who continued to drive to work.[iv]
- As a national example, a regional network of trails in Portland, OR, helps area residents avoid gaining 17 million pounds each year, saving the region $155 million per year in obesity-related health care costs.” [v]
[i] North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics. (2007). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2007 Results. www. schs.state.nc.us/SCHS/brfss/2010/index.html
[ii] North Carolina DHHS, Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch, Eat Smart, Move More NC. The Obesity Epidemic in North Carolina. www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/ObesityInNC/ ObesityInNC.html.
[iii] North Carolina Department of Transportation. (2013). Walk Bike NC: North Carolina Statewide Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan. http://www.ncdot.gov/bikeped/planning/walkbikenc/
[iv] MacDonald, J.M., Stokes, R.J., Cohen, D.A., Kofner, A., & G.K. Ridgeway. (2010). The effect of light rail transit on body mass index and physical activity. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 39(2): 105-112.
[v] Kurt Beil, “Physical Activity and the Intertwine: A Public Health Method of Reducing Obesity and Healthcare Costs,” 2011. http://bit.ly/1dR1Glr
Economy
- Walking and biking for transportation is more affordable than driving. Many North Carolinians cannot afford to own a vehicle and are dependent on walking, biking, and transit for transportation. 17% of all occupied housing units in Goldsboro do not own a vehicle.[i]
- Bicycling example: In NC's Outer Banks alone, bicycling is estimated to have an annual economic impact of $60 million and 1,407 jobs supported from the 40,800 visitors for whom bicycling was an important reason for choosing to vacation in the area.[ii]
- Walking example: A study of over 90,000 U.S. home sales found that houses in walkable neighborhoods have property values $4,000 to $34,000 higher than houses in areas with average walkability.[iii]
- Greenway example: An economic impact analysis, conducted as part of the 2013 WalkBikeNC Plan [iv], showed that adding 300 miles of greenway in North Carolina would result in:
- $64 million increase in property values
- 1,600 jobs
- $174 million generated for state economy
- $76 million annual health care cost reduction
- $68 million increase in visitor spending
- 40% increase in walk/bike tourism
- $64 million increase in property values
[i] U.S. Census Bureau. 2011. ACS 2007-2011 5-year data.
[ii] Institute of Transportation Research and Education. (2004). “The Economic Impact of Investments in Bicycle Facilities: A Case Study of the Northern Outer Banks.
[iii] Cortright, J. (2009). Walking the Walk: How walkability raises housing values in U.S. cities. CEOs for Cities
[iv] North Carolina Department of Transportation. (2013). Walk Bike NC: North Carolina Statewide Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan. http://www.ncdot.gov/bikeped/planning/walkbikenc/
Environment
- Greenways protect and link fragmented habitat and provide opportunities for protecting plant and animal species.
- Trails and greenways reduce air pollution by two significant means: first, they provide alternatives to the automobile, which reduces the burning of fossil fuels; second, they protect large areas of plants that create oxygen and filter air pollutants such as ozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and airborne particles of heavy metal.
- A greenway can serve as a hands-on environmental classroom for people of all ages to experience natural landscapes, furthering environmental awareness.
- The natural buffer zones that occur along greenways protect streams, rivers, and lakes, preventing soil erosion and filtering pollution caused by agricultural and roadway runoff.[i]