This study quantifies, in economic terms, the health benefits associated with transitioning from “passive” to active urban mobility. The modes of transport examined include conventional bicycles, electric bikes (e-bikes), and walking. The study establishes cost-avoidance factors per kilometer traveled with each mode and is among the first to quantify these factors for e-bikes.
The health effects of active mobility are estimated by measuring two key factors: the benefits of increased physical activity and the negative consequences of greater exposure to pollutants. The combined effect of these factors impacts both morbidity and mortality, although this study focuses only on the latter, thereby underestimating the overall impact.
The estimated cost-avoidance factors are derived from a scenario projecting increased active mobility at the expense of passive mobility in major Italian cities over a ten-year period.
The results show that the shift to active mobility significantly reduces expected mortality rates due to the increased physical activity, as its benefits far outweigh the negative effects of greater pollutant exposure for cyclists and pedestrians.
The monetization of avoided deaths is based on the value of a life year (VOLY), as defined for the European Union in the latest version of the Handbook on External Costs of Transport and adapted to the Italian context using value transfer techniques. This approach contrasts with most literature, where values are typically estimated based on the value of a statistical life (VSL).
After accounting for the negative effects of increased pollutant exposure, each kilometer traveled in an urban setting by e-bike, bicycle, and on foot results in an economic burden reduction for society of €0.04, €0.06, and €0.14, respectively.
The estimated values are lower than those found in the literature, likely because they do not account for morbidity, increased risk of road accidents, and are calculated using VOLY instead of VSL. The goal in the coming years is to refine these estimates to include mobility-related factors.