Advancing sustainable urban mobility by exploring trends and reimagining cost-benefit analysis for active travel

Abstract

Active travel (AT), which commonly implies walking and cycling, is a critical component in any modern urban transportation system. AT is sustainable, equitable, cost-effective, gender-neutral, and serves as an important mitigation measure for transport-driven greenhouse gases (GHGs) while promoting healthy lifestyle and social wellbeing. However, vehicle-centric urban planning has resulted in lower levels of AT in many countries. Studies evaluating the effects of AT on society and ecosystems tend to highlight the tangible benefits over the intangible ones, potentially missing the broader advantages of AT. Furthermore, there is a considerable difference in adopting AT promoting measures and policies between the developing and the developed worlds. There are several economic methods to evaluate various aspects of AT, among which cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is widely used. However, for a more informed decision-making by political leadership, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive evaluation methodology that covers the full spectrum of costs and benefits associated with AT, hereby enabling better urban transport planning. This paper will comprehensively evaluate the benefits and costs associated with AT and, highlight how traditional CBA often undervalues AT by ignoring some of its critical costs and benefits.