Bike lanes are considered a social intervention, and not directly medically related. But they are also proving to have an obviously positive effect on public health outcomes.
An article in Reuters shares news of a new economic assessment, completed by Dr. Babak Mohit of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York, among other researchers. The study was published in September by Injury Prevention.
The assessment analyzed the bike lane investments by New York City, finding that for "Every $1,300 New York City invested in building bike lanes in 2015 provided benefits equivalent to one additional year of life at full health over the lifetime of all city residents."
The article notes that economists have used the quality-adjusted life year (QALY) to measure the impact of public health investments of health interventions like dialysis ($1,300 per QALY) and vaccines (~$100 per QALY). As the research shows, bike lanes perform surprisingly well as a public health investment.
That's a better return on investment than some direct health treatments, like dialysis, which costs $129,000 for one quality-adjusted life year, or QALY.
Read the full story: Bike lanes are a sound public health investment
NYC to vote on supporting outdoor dining, streamlining bus and bike lane creation
The city has five proposed amendments to its municipal constitution on the ballot this November.
Report: 75% of NYC warehouses are in 'disadvantaged communities'
Low-income New Yorkers are 1.2 times more likely to live within half a mile of a warehouse.
Study: Protected bike lanes increase Citi Bike rides by nearly 400 rides a month
An analysis of millions of NYC bike share rides reveals that only protected bike lanes have a 'statistically significant' increase in ridership.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority