Italy: Modena uses the HEAT for ambitious cycling projections
Modena is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy with a total population of 186 108. The city was part of the joint WHO/EC project on promoting networking and action on healthy and equitable environments for physical activity (PHAN) which ran from February 2010 to January 2013. As part of this project, officials from the municipality used the HEAT to estimate the value of:
- existing levels of cycling;
- measured increases in cycling;
- future projected levels of cycling; and
- the health benefits produced by the use of a new cycling path which connects the main hospital/university with the city centre.
A manual cycle count was used to measure the number of cyclists on two main cycle paths, and distances were estimated based on the length of the cycle path. Assumptions were made regarding the average distance cycled per person per year and the amount of cycling per person per year.
The results showed an anticipated increase in cyclists of 1091 per year, and an associated number of avoidable deaths of 0.35 per year.
The current value of the annual benefit, averaged across 10 years, was €414 000.
The results of the HEAT were used to help secure agreement for the new cycling path.
