What Would Happen if All Short Trips Were by Biking or Walking?

By Charles Pekow
Any way you look at it, cycling and walking are more dangerous than riding in an auto. But if more people would replace short car trips with active transportation, the rate of cycling injuries and fatalities would decrease. But the number of such casualties would go up. All in all, the public would be healthier, the streets less congested and the air cleaner.
With these assumptions, a study titled “Healthy mobility and road safety” in the United Kingdom suggests that if all car trips of one kilometer (about .62 mile) or less were replaced by walking or biking, the amount of bicycling in the British Isles would skyrocket an amazing 473 percent. The analysis by TRL of Wokingham, Berks, UK; which calls itself “a global centre for innovation in transport and mobility,” says it factored in some relevant issues such as mobility, age and access to a bicycle; but not others, such as terrain and the need to pick up large items not suitable for a bike.
Check it out at https://trl.co.uk/sites/default/files/Healthy%20Mobility%20Report%20January%202019.pdf.
Reference: Smith, L., S. Chowdhury, and J. Hammond. “PROJECT REPORT PPR865.” (2019).