How does Green Commuting benefit me, my community and the environment? 1

Benefits to You

• Moderate physical activity reduces the risk of premature death, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, adult-onset diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke, depression and colon cancer
• Improved energy, self-esteem and a sense of well-being result from physical health and in turn contribute to healthier and happier relationships and improved productivity at work and school
• Muscle-power is the most energy-efficient and least costly mode of transportation
• Riding public transit provides time to relax, plan your day or mentally prepare for work/school

Benefits to Your Community

• Cycling and walking help reduce traffic congestion, air pollution and excessive noise
• More people on the street (cyclists, pedestrians) helps deter crime and provides neighbours and citizens with a stronger sense of shared community
• Active living leads to reduced health care costs because people are in better shape – the Conference Board of Canada estimates that a 10% increase in the proportion of Canadians who are physically active could save $102 million annually from the treatment of ischemic heart disease (hardening of the arteries leading to chest pain and potentially heart attack)
• A shift to active transportation can reduce the need for public expenditures on costly transportation infrastructure for motor vehicles (road building, street repairs, bridges) – a roadway can carry 7 to 12 times as many people per hour by bicycle compared to an automobile at similar speeds in urban areas. Paths for pedestrians are even more efficient.

Benefits to the Environment

• Active modes of transportation (walking, cycling, in-line skating, jogging) are non-polluting methods of travel
• Each motor trip that is switched to cycling or walking avoids releasing into the atmosphere 2.6 grams of hydrocarbon, 367 grams of carbon dioxide, and 1.6 grams of nitrogen oxides per passenger mile

Don't be an SOV!

An SOV is a single occupancy vehicle. Have you ever noticed how many vehicles on our streets contain only one person? Reducing the number of SOVs helps us all – by improving personal health, creating a more liveable community, and protecting the health of the environment in which we all live.

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1 See Go for Green, Making the Case for Active Transportation, www.goforgreen.ca