Active transport perspectives

This chapter presents some perspectives on active transport. Active transport provides an important alternative to the private motor vehicle both in and of itself and as a means for accessing public transport, with increasingly well-touted health and wider sustainability benefits to the individual and broader society. However, these benefits continue to be compromised by safety concerns, the perceived limitations of active transport in meeting day-to-day mobility needs, and economic appraisal methods that overestimate the benefits of car use and underestimate the benefits of active transport. This chapter is organised around the following themes, which provide some considerations in informing active transport research agendas: (1) factors impacting active travel choices; (2) health and wellbeing considerations; (3) policy interventions to increase active travel and evaluation approaches; (4) contemporary issues including bike share, e-bikes, information technology, and autonomous vehicles.