Including health impacts in transport modelling and economic appraisal: A partnership project between RMIT University and the Victorian Department of Transport

This document is the final report for a two-year project titled Including health impacts in transport modelling and economic appraisal. The research was funded by RMIT University’s Urban Future Enabling Capability Platform Opportunity Fund for Research and Translation in 2019 and by in-kind support from our partners the Victorian Department of Transport. Our research partners also include the Australian Urban Observatory and The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre.

The aim of this project was to measure health benefits arising from walking or cycling (known collectively as active transport) based on estimates from strategic transport models and data provided by our Victorian Department of Transport partners. Active transport has been extensively studied and shown to be a significant factor for increasing levels of physical activity and health. However, quantification of health benefits from active transport is complex, which is why it is often missing from strategic transport planning, business cases and public dialogue, despite the general acceptance that more physical activity leads to long term health benefits.