Brent ToderianDec 3, 2022

The Dutch invest €595 million annually on urban biking, resulting in €19 BILLION saved in public health care costs alone. That’s how smart governments do the right math on investing in better mobility.

Let’s be clear — it wastes public money to NOT do it.

#CityMakingMath, hat tip to @modacitylife for their excellent books!

Show threadJonas
@BrentToderian @modacitylife
Thanks for the sharing, where did you get these numbers from? Would be helpful in any kind of conversation regarding prioritizing bike traffic!
Dec 3, 2022 at 9:45amWeb
Show threadJeroenDec 3, 2022
@fenrok @BrentToderian @[email protected] I would also like to see a source. Current population 17.8 million. 19 Billion in savings seems a bit high. For solid research see https://urbancyclinginstitute.com
Urban Cycling Institute – Bringing Cycling Research from Science to Practice and Back

Show threaddragonfrogDec 3, 2022

@fenrok @BrentToderian @modacitylife

Dutch Cycling: Quantifying the Health and Related Economic

Dr.s Fishman, Schepers, & Kamphuis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4504332/#!po=2.77778

"Compared with the capital investments by all levels of Dutch government in road and parking infrastructure for cycling of almost €0.5 billion per year over the last decades,12 the annual benefits of €19 billion are much higher than the annual costs. "

Dutch Cycling: Quantifying the Health and Related Economic Benefits

The Netherlands is well known for their high bicycle use. We used the Health Economic Assessment Tool and life table calculations to quantify the population-level health benefits from Dutch cycling levels. Cycling prevents about 6500 deaths each year, ...

PubMed Central (PMC)
Show threadJonasDec 3, 2022

@dragonfrog @BrentToderian @modacitylife

Thanks a lot for the source!

"As a result of the mortality reduction of all age groups together, about 6500 deaths per year were prevented as a result of cycling in the Netherlands. With a value of a statistical life of €2.8 million per prevented death, the total economic health benefits of cycling were estimated at €19 billion per year."

I'm not competely satisfied.

Wouldn't it be more precise to argue with the loss of Healthy Life Years?

Show threadJonasDec 3, 2022

@dragonfrog @BrentToderian @modacitylife

These 19 Billion € are based on a "life's worth" but what has that to do with costs in the health system?

Show threaddragonfrogDec 3, 2022
@fenrok @BrentToderian @modacitylife yeah that's the total estimated economic savings including, but not limited to, health system savings.
Show threadJonasDec 4, 2022
@dragonfrog @BrentToderian @modacitylife
For my understanding it's the opposite:
If someone dies, there are no health system cost left to threat the person.
So on my view there is no relation between an estimated life value and the health system costs.
Or did I miss something essential?
Thanks for the discussion!
Show threaddragonfrogDec 4, 2022
@fenrok @BrentToderian @modacitylife mostly the benefit is from people being healthier throughout their lives, and therefore
- less expense from treating chronic health problems
- more economic activity from days worked (fewer sick days / early retirements due to disability)
Show threadJonasDec 4, 2022
@dragonfrog @BrentToderian @modacitylife
But the source being stated only multiplies the "life worth" with the sheer numbers of lifes saved.
So where is the health care benefit or in other terms the budget saved?
Just to clarify: I greatly agree with the idea of including the benefits for the society in the calculation for investments in bike infrastructure.
But the calculation seems a bit strange for me.
Show threaddragonfrogDec 4, 2022
@fenrok @BrentToderian @modacitylife that's what these "life worth" numbers mean. It's an estimate of the overall economic impact of saving one life. It includes the average medical cost of a death, the cost of looking after the average number of orphans one person leaves behind, the hours of productive labour the average person does, etc.