Health Impact Assessment of Public Bicycle Schemes in Ireland

Abstract

Introduction: The implementation of public bicycle schemes (PBS) in Dublin has doubled the rate of bicycle trips in the city. In 2014 three other cities in Ireland (Cork, Galway and Limerick) have proposed to implement a new PBS to increase the cycling trips in the cities. Objective: Assess the health risks and benefits of public bicycle schemes in Ireland. Methods: We conducted a Health impact assessment, creating two different scenarios with increases of bike trips. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality related to the exposure of travellers to physical activity, air pollution to particulate matter <2.5 µm (PM2.5), and road traffic fatality. We developed two different scenarios 1) Doubling the levels of cycling trips in the city or 2) Attain 5% of trips by bicycle in the city. The secondary outcome was a change in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). Results: The annual numbers of deaths avoided related with scenario 1 (doubling the cycling trips) were 1.17 in Dublin, 0.06 in Cork, 0.11 in Limerick and 0.18 in Galway 0.18. Scenario 2(attain 5% of cycling trips) also produced annual health benefits of 1.27 deaths avoided in Dublin, 0.52 in Cork, 0.45 in Limerick and 0.22 in Galway. The scenario 2 reduced between 116,661 to 756,761 (kg/ year) of CO2 emissions in the four cities analyzed. Conclusions: Public bicycle schemes in Ireland can produce health benefits. The most benefit of these PBS come from the increment of physical activity and the reduction of traffic fatalities between the travellers. Also these policies can help to reduce green house gas emissions.