Development of methods for quantification of health benefits from walking and cycling

What real difference in economic terms does cycling and walking make?

Working closely with HEPA Europe, and within the Pan-European Programme on Transport, Health and Environment (THE PEP), WHO/Europe has developed guidance and tools which form part of comprehensive cost-benefit analyses of transport interventions or infrastructure projects. They complement existing tools for economic valuations of transport interventions on, for example, emissions or congestion and can be used for an assessment of the current situation or of investments made in the past.

Examples of applications are available from several countries.

Rationale and project members

To provide guidance for practitioners, this project aimed at facilitating the harmonization of methodological approaches, focusing in particular on approaches to the economic valuation of positive health effects related to cycling and walking. It built on a critical review of existing relevant studies and approaches to quantify the health gains associated to cycling and walking.

The project was carried out by a core group with the support of an international advisory group consisting of economists, experts of health and physical activity and experts in transport, in close collaboration with HEPA Europe and within THE PEP.