Welcome to Research Brief. Spotlight, new statesman's policy section features a selection of recent publications from the government, think tank, charity and NGO worlds. Click here for other editions of Research Brief.
What will we talk about this week? A new episode will be added to the long-running “cars vs. pedestrians and bicycles'' story. Specifically, a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank is called Stride and Ride: Britain's path from laggard to leader in walking, wheels and cycling. The study explores how a “historic underfunding” of walking and cycling infrastructure, compared to driver-only schemes, is leading to poorer air quality, poorer health and suppressing economic growth. I'm considering it.
What's the point? Governments are putting too much fuel in the tank (money) of road and car friendly schemes, and as a result are suppressing the uptake of 'active travel' which is cheaper, healthier and more environmentally friendly. Masu. On average, people walk, bike, or “wheel” (a more inclusive term used to encompass all forms of walking, from non-motorized wheelchair use to skateboarding) a day. fewer than one in five people do so compared to Europe. More than a quarter of people do so.
From repeated fiscal interventions freezing fuel tax to the Chancellor's announcement of a 'plan for motorists' last year, roads are all linked to governments deprioritizing active travel. Researchers say an average of £148 per person per year will be spent on road projects between 2016 and 2021, more than 10 times the amount spent on promoting active travel.
And in March last year, the Government announced, through the Department for Transport, that it would cut dedicated active travel funding by £233m. Maya Singer-Hobbs, senior researcher at IPPR and one of the report's members, said: “The UK government's policies perpetuate car dependence, discourage people from walking and cycling, and harm our health, the environment and the environment. It's sacrificing the economy.” Authors. “Investing in active travel infrastructure that allows more people to travel by foot or by car is critical to reducing emissions and driving growth.”
[Read more: Rosamund Kissi-Debrah: “Without Ulez expansion, more children are going to die”]
But how does walking lead to economic growth? Researchers claim that spending money on active travel infrastructure (earning an average of £5.62 for every £1) has a better return on investment than spending cash on roads (where you get an average of £2.50 for every £1). There is.
Researchers believe that proactive investment in travel could also save money. They say replacing current short car journeys with active journeys could save the NHS £17bn over 20 years. By doubling down on cycling and walking more, we could save £567m a year and prevent 8,300 premature deaths through improved air quality.
What is required? The think tank wants spending reforms that would distribute funds more evenly across the country. From 2016 to 2021, researchers found an apparent investment gap of £2.3 billion in active travel between London and the rest of England. amazing surprise.
The researchers are calling for a new 10-year funding deal in which the government would invest £35 per person per year in active travel infrastructure, including at least 25,000 miles of protected cycle paths. They are also calling for an extra £15 per person per year to implement other interventions to encourage more people to walk, drive and cycle. This includes public health messaging, bike training, bike rental subsidy schemes, bike storage, and better integration of public transport with active travel infrastructure. Stephen Frost, one of the report's authors, said: “If governments channeled just a fraction of the billions of dollars they invest into road travel, they could make our streets safer for everyone who travels on their own. “There is,” he said.
He added: “Children could move around more freely, we all had more access to green spaces and nature, people were healthier and less isolated, and local high streets could thrive. I can't do it,” he added. Don't you think it's wonderful?
In one sentence? Government transport investments cannot continue to be so vehicle-centric. Spending on active travel provides financial, health, and environmental benefits.
Read the full IPPR report here.
If you have a report, report or research that you would like to feature in Research Brief, please contact us at spotlight@newstatesman.co.uk.
