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Abstract
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Introduction
This study aims to quantify, in monetary terms, the health benefits associated with a shift from private cars and motorbikes to active mobility modes in Italy and at providing unit benefit factors to be used in policy making. Modes considered are walking, bikes and e-bikes.
Methods
The quantification is carried out through the development of a mobility-change, ten-year scenario for some Italian cities. The positive effect of increased physical activity levels as well as the negative effects of increased air pollutant intake and road injury risk by active mobility adopters are considered. Health impacts are measured through the change in expected mortality. City-specific mortality rates, demographic structure and the underlying physical activity levels of the population are considered. Changes in mortality rates are translated in monetary units using the value of a life year (VOLY) and the value of a statistical life (VSL). Unit benefit factors expressed in euro/km are derived from total benefits and distance travelled.
Results
Average benefits associated with increased physical activity outweight damages associated with increased air pollutant intake and road injury risk for all active mobility modes considered. The average overall benefit, however, differs substantially across modes. It is as high as 0.32 euro/km in the case of walking but much lower for bikes (0.06 euro/km) and e-bikes (0.02 euro/km) because of different physical efforts, effort duration and ventilation rates. In cities with high air pollutant background concentrations, e-bike overall benefit can dip to zero.
Conclusions
This is the first work using the VOLY for the monetization of health benefits and including e-bikes among active mobility modes. It also considers the demographic structure and underlying physical activiy levels of the population. The main limitation is that impacts only consider changes in mortality and not in morbidity.
Language: en |