News
19/02/2019

New evidence to present the economic benefits of investment in walking and cycling

The TfL's webpage brings together the latest evidence, research and findings on the economic benefits of walking and cycling, showcasing studies developed by Transport for London and other organisations.

The summary pack "Walking and cycling: the economic benefits" contains the best evidence from London and elsewhere, grouped into six major topic areas, and several infographics:

  • Boosting the high street and local town centres;
  • Reducing absences and increasing productivity;
  • Attracting empolyees and businesses;
  • Keeping the city moving and for business;
  • Wider economic benefits;
  • Helping everyone share the benefits.

Here are some examples:

Cycle parking delivers 5x the retail spend per square metre than the same area of car parking (Raje and Saffrey, 2016).

Employees who are physically active take 27% fewer sick days than their collegaues (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2012).

Businesses using cycle freight save between 39% and 64% on delivery costs (Raje and Saffrey, 2016).

13:1 is the average "Benefit Cost Ratio" for walking and cycling projects (Department for Transport, 2015).

If every Londoner walked or cycled for 20 minutes each day, this would save the National Health System GBP 1.7bn in treatment costs over 25 years.

Source: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/economic-benefits-of-walking-and-cycling