Study ties benefits of short bicycle trips to better public health, air quality
Contact Steve Grabow, 920-674-7295, steve.grabow@ces.uwex.edu
Jefferson, Wis.–Short bike trips can be long on benefits according to researchers writing in the January issue of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. A new study conducted by UW-Madison scientists looked at whether running errands or commuting by bike rather than by car would affect air quality and physical fitness levels in 11 Midwestern cities.
Researchers also factored weather into the study, compiling information for only about four months of the year when bike riding would be suitable for round trips of approximately five miles.
The study found that if the 31 million people who live in the Upper Midwest made even half of their short trips by bike, regional health care costs would be reduced by $8 billion per year and 1,295 deaths could be avoided.
Researchers calculated the benefits based on a reduction in air pollution particles and ozone that would lower the risk of asthma, strokes and heart attacks. The physical exercise involved in biking would help reduce obesity–a growing national health concern. Residents of rural areas downwind of urban centers would also gain health benefits from better air quality.
“This study provides important, research-based evidence to support the many benefits of bicycling,” says Steve Grabow, community development educator with Jefferson County UW-Extension. “It affirms the direction that policy-makers and other leaders in Jefferson County and its communities have been taking to provide a well-planned and safe bicycle system throughout the county as part of overall efforts toward economic positioning, healthy living and a high-quality environment.”
Throughout Wisconsin, Extension educators are involved in planning community parks, recreation and bicycling projects. In Jefferson County, Cooperative Extension has supported many efforts, including a recently updated county bike plan. The plan identifies biking as key to health and wellness initiatives, as well as to Jefferson County’s new economic development vision and strategies aimed at preserving the area’s natural resources.
Currently, grant applications are underway for three off-road bike path projects that will ultimately connect Lake Mills, Waterloo (home of the Trek Bicycle Corporation–the county’s largest manufacturer), Watertown and Oconomowoc, and Waukesha County’s Lake Country Trail.
“These projects will result in safe paths for bike travel and will help Jefferson County move toward its economic vision which calls for bicycle facilities that will help grow existing businesses, contribute to tourism and provide a competitive edge that attracts top talent and new companies,” says Grabow.
Both Grabow and the lead study author will speak at the Wisconsin Bike Federation’s Bicycle Summit in Madison on Feb. 21. The Jefferson/Walworth County Bicycle Forum on Feb. 16 at Trek’s Waterloo facility will feature the results of the new study and a report on the status of projects in Jefferson County.
To learn more about the Bicycle Forum, go to http://walworth.uwex.edu/cnred/bicycling/. For more on the Bike Federation’s Bicycle Summit, visit http://www.bfw.org/events/wisconsin-bike-summit/
The entire study, “Air Quality and Exercise-Related Health Benefits from Reduced Car Travel in the Midwestern United States,” is available online at http://bit.ly/xQaKbt
To learn more about Cooperative Extension, which is celebrating 100 years of working for Wisconsin in 2012, visit http://www.uwex.edu/ces/
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