Embracing Active Travel: A Triple Win for Health, Climate, and Equity

Georgie Stuart joined Public Health Scotland as a partnership initiative between PHS and Sustrans, and talks here about the importance of active travel for the climate and for physical and mental health.

Active travel (walking, cycling and wheeling) is a powerful tool to address the interconnected challenges of public health, climate change, and social justice. This interplay is explored more in this Climate Change briefing from Adaptation Scotland.

Transport is a fundamental building block of good health – it determines how and whether we can access basic services, education, employment, healthcare and the all-important social connections that we need for health and happiness. A sustainable transport system is essential to address the huge inequalities between the poorest and most marginalised communities and the wealthiest in society and to move towards a healthier, greener, and fairer society.

This Climate Week we’re exploring how improving active travel provision can improve the health of people in Scotland, reduce greenhouse emissions and how to ensure we get it right for everyone!

1. Health Benefits

Regular physical activity, such as walking or cycling for everyday journeys, helps prevent chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Incorporating more active travel into our daily lives can improve both our physical and mental health – at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week can significantly improve health outcomes.

Meanwhile, reducing vehicle use lessens traffic congestion, decreases air pollution and benefits respiratory health. Our recently published briefing on Movement highlights many of the connections between transport and health.

2. Climate Benefits

Active travel also plays a vital role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, transport accounted for 28% of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions, of which road transport is about 75%.

But making the choice to walk or cycle instead of driving is only possible with safe, inclusive infrastructure, which generally means people walking, wheeling and cycling are separated from other road traffic. Investing in this can lead to a significant shift away from more polluting forms of transport.

In addition, many active travel projects incorporate elements of climate adaptation methods such as Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems.

3. Promoting Equity

Active travel improves equity if affordable transport is made available. Where this is lacking, we risk creating the conditions of car dependency. Read the recent PHS report on transport poverty for more on this.

Investments in cycling and walking infrastructure, such as segregated cycle lanes and pedestrian crossings, better provision of cycle storage and more liveable, safe neighbourhoods, enhances connectivity and access for everyone, particularly those in marginalised communities. They also represent an excellent return on investment, including savings to the NHS, increasing footfall to local businesses and increased spending. These benefits are also explored in a recent PHS publication on Road Space Reallocation.

Getting it right

By investing in active travel and moving away from a ‘car culture’ which prioritises drivers over other road users, we enable individuals to integrate more walking, wheeling and cycling into their daily routines, and we contribute to a healthier, more sustainable, and inclusive world. But this can only be achieved through working collaboratively.

A recent experience from our colleague Michael, a Senior Health Improvement Officer at PHS, highlights the importance of engaging with all affected communities at all stages of development and planning to ensure the best outcomes.

“I’m blind and have a guide dog and I also have very poor hearing so I use hearing aids. I love walking and taking public transport to get about. It’s really rewarding when we’re able to travel somewhere independently just like anyone else can. So I was looking forward to the Avenues being introduced in Glasgow City Centre because I thought they would make walking and accessing public transport easier, at the same time as making it easier to be more environmentally friendly.

"I saw the first Avenue on Sauchiehall Street, and to my horror the design actually created lots of barriers for me and I now avoid walking there. Imagine my alarm when I learnt the whole city centre would be getting these designs!

"I spoke to officials at the Council and showed them what it was like for me trying to walk along Sauchiehall Street. Lots of other disabled people and organisations also contacted the Council.

"The Council set up an Accessible Inclusive Design Forum for the Avenues to improve engagement about their plans. We suggested ways the designs could be improved and I’m pleased to say they listened. It’s by listening to the widest range of voices that we can make changes that work for everyone.”

For more information on work in Scotland relating to transport and health, please visit PHS Transport and Health and our partner, Sustrans and their Disabled Citizens' Inquiry (sustrans.org.uk).