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As our cities get larger and the centralized nature of city centers remains efficiently unreachable without a car, it is hard to focus on non-motorized modes of transportation. However, these ways of transportation were, in fact, the ones we initially depended on and still carry huge health, social, and even economical benefits that remain relevant in the 21 century. Especially nowadays with the commitment of multiple countries to reduce their emissions by 2020 according to the Paris Agreement. Australia specifically committed to a reduction of its emission levels of 13% of its levels in 2005 (Department of the Environment and Energy, 2015). The targets are related to those of other countries such as Canada and the European Union. Canada’s emission target by 2020 is a reduction of 20% of its emissions (Environment Canada, 2012). As the second-largest contributor of greenhouse emissions in Australia, the transportation sector needs to be addressed. For instance, New South Wales alone contributes to 27.4 million tonnes of greenhouse gases annually (Stock, et al., 2018). Trends in countries with the same commitment to emissions reductions like the United Kingdom are already showing an increase in the use of non-motorized modes of transportation such as cycling (Travel in London, 2018). Despite these goals, a graph by the Finnish Environment Institute (2017) reveals the reality of many places around the world and that is the decrease in commuting trips that can be done by modes of transportation different from cars. The result is a reiteration within the literature related to mobility with a motorized vehicle. However, most people in Australia continue to use their cars as their main mode of transportation having significant consequences in economic, emissions, and social aspects. The average distance between people to their work or studies is 16 kilometers and eight out of ten commutes drive a car to work or their studies (Stock, et al., 2018). In Sydney, the major contributors to these statistics include the barriers acknowledged by people according to the data gathered by the City of Sydney (2017). These are the ten targets that any city should consider when creating a plan to encourage walking and cycling and the relevance of acknowledging and solving these barriers remains in the multiple benefits they offer.
Walking as we all know, is always a win-win situation. Walking is good for our health, the environment, the community, along with the economy. Research illustrates that social connection is vital for well-being (Social benefits, 2019). Walking increases opportunities for face-to-face social contact. Direct contact leads to higher cooperation, understanding, respect, and trust. Walking is essential because, despite other ways of connecting, face-to-face communication remains a compelling way to develop and sustain our relationships (Victoria walks, 2019). Social isolation is being more and more common and to tackle; creating active and walkable neighborhoods is extremely important (Social benefits, 2019). If there are better walking conditions, more people would be walking and using the streets, which would increase social contacts
The health benefits associated with walking are immense. Just a 30-minute walk every day can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even some kinds of cancer(‘Walking for good health’, 2015). Walking increase cardiovascular fitness along with strengthening the bones and reducing excess body fat. The main reason contributing to high rates of obesity for both children and adults is the lack of activities like walking. The lowest rates of obesity are in the countries which have the highest level of active transport(‘Health benefits’, 2019).
“The economic value of walking has been described as the walking economy. There is a direct link between the city’s economic prosperity and the safety and convenience of the pedestrian experience.”
(City of Melbourne 2012). Walking leads to lots of savings(‘Economic benefits’, 2019). We can save money on transportation costs. Ownership of a motor vehicle is about 19.5% of an ordinary household’s income((‘Economic benefits’, 2019). Walking is very good for your health, and if you start walking to places, you will not have to do other forms of exercise, which require special equipment or training, which is an extra cost.
Additionally, a more active community can help reduce healthcare costs. The parking cost, especially near the cities, is exceptionally high so walking would help save that amount. As we all know, walking is the most natural means of transport(‘Walking for good health’, 2015). Walking is considered to be safer than driving/riding a vehicle. If the number of people walking increases, the total productivity would increase as there would be less traffic.
Walking improves our quality of life as it protects and enhances the living environment. Cleaner air, less traffic noise fewer road accidents all improve the living environment Walking rarely leads to injuries and it is very efficient in the use of urban space and energy. Vehicles produce about 80% of carbon monoxide and about 55% of nitrogen oxide in the U.S. (‘Walking for good health’, 2015). Walking is comparatively highly efficient as cars require fuel, larger space to store, and use a lot of energy (‘Environmental benefits’, 2019). If we substitute car trips for walking it benefits the environment. It provides environmental benefits like improved air quality, no noise pollution, and a huge reduction in the consumption of non-renewable energy sources(‘Environmental benefits’, 2019).
Technology is helping us improve our ways of walking and humans are discovering new technology. There is this new initiative which is let’s generate electricity by walking. Kohei Hayamizu is planning to create a city that is an electric power station. The roads, sidewalks, and bridges will have a plate on them which generates electricity from the vibration produced when people move over them(The Power Beneath Your Feet, 2017). In 20 days it is meant to generate electricity enough to power 1422 TV for about an hour. They are trying to figure out ways to store energy so one TV could be used for about 1422 hours with the elect produced(The Power Beneath Your Feet, 2017). If we create more bridges for people to walk in and nice pedestrian routes with a cycle lane more people would be encouraged to walk and cycle rather than drive. If the infrastructures support active transportation as do cars/motorbikes then more people would be encouraged to use the alternative.
Currently, Sydney has achieved four major contributions to ensure these benefits for its residents and tourists (City of Sydney, 2017). To target insecurity and time with a comprehensive wayfinding strategy, Sydney implemented Legible Sydney a Design Manual to ensure consistent and easy-to-follow signage. Major public events dedicated to pedestrians have been hosted to motivate residents to visit local markets, multiple festivals, and art events. Additionally, the immersion of artists’ works in public spaces allowed the development of the Culture Walks app as an encouraging way for tourists and locals to get to know the city in a special way by foot. Last but not least, $15 million dollars is being invested annually in the improvement of footpaths’ quality, aesthetics, and convenience. Their more lively, vibrant, and useful streets are the more likely people will be motivated to use them. In other parts of the world strategies towards non-motorized have already had significant contributions to a biking culture for instance in Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. The city constantly battles with major congestion issues, and measures to limit the number of vehicles per day were not effectively leading to inefficient vehicle flow and stressed citizens. In the past years, significant investments in exclusive bike lanes in major avenues connect people with their jobs and studies. With 480 kilometers of bike lanes, Bogota is the city with the largest network of cycling infrastructure in all of Latin America. In just three years there was an increase of about 27,000 bike users in 2017, which that means for every two people that commute to work by car one does it by bike (Sanchez, 2018). The budget that is estimated to implement a bi-directional bike lane with access ramps and parking spaces for 1 km is AUS $300,000 and an annual maintenance cost of AUS $1,000 (Departamento Nacional de Planeación, 2017). Additionally, social incentives have been implemented under Law 1811 in 2016, such as having a paid half-day off at work if they certify they have commuted to work by bicycle (Sanchez, 2018), as well, as part of the initiative “The day without District Car” the first Thursday of each month. Another example of effective non-motorized strategies in the recreational aspect is the city of Vancouver in Canada. Counting 450 km of bike lanes, the city strives to provide alternatives for short, one-way trips with a bike-sharing program called “mobi” (Tourism Vancouver, 2019). With public bike stations placed strategically around the city, this initiative allows citizens to choose an alternative to sedentary habits and allows tourists and citizens to enjoy nature in a stress-free environment. Additionally, the city buses include bike racks at the front if you choose to take your bike further.
In conclusion, to remain globally competitive it is not sufficient to invest in infrastructure, the importance of how people view and value non-motorized transportation is equally important for solving the non-motorized mobility issues. As our cities continue to expand and our population continues to increase there is an imperative necessity to plan communities that can be transited majoritarian by walking or biking (no car-centered communities) with access to centers that satisfy essential needs and that require connection with efficient public transport solely for leisure trips or jobs that are further than a certain commuting distance average.
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