TY - JOUR
T1 - Health impacts of electric micromobility transitions in Barcelona
T2 - A scenario analysis
AU - López-Dóriga, Inés
AU - Vich, Guillem
AU - Koch, Sarah
AU - Khomenko, Sasha
AU - Marquet, Oriol
AU - Roig-Costa, Oriol
AU - Daher, Carolyn
AU - Rasella, Davide
AU - Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark
AU - Mueller, Natalie
N1 - Funding Information:
This research paper did not receive any specific funding from agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The NewMob project, from which data was taken and analysed, is funded by the Institut de Cultura, Ajuntament de Barcelona [grant number 19S01360 -006 ].
Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Sandra Márquez for statistical support. ISGlobal authors acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and State Research Agency through the “Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2019-2023” Program (CEX2018-000806-S), and support from the Generalitat de Catalunya through the CERCA Program.
Funding Information:
This HIA study is part of the NewMob project, funded by the Barcelona City Council, which aims to analyse mobility patterns and gain insights into user profiles and the environmental and social impacts of EMM use in Barcelona ( Ajuntament de Barcelona, 2019 ). In September 2020, the NewMob project surveyed 902 EMM users, aged 16–65 years, on current and former travel behaviours and preferences, together with questions on sociodemographic profile ( Roig-Costa et al., 2021 ). Recruitment was done in different areas of the city and participants were randomly intercepted and invited to participate before they would start a trip, during an ongoing trip or after finishing their trip. Initially, NewMob project recruitment and data collection were foreseen for spring 2020, however, this had to be delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The incidence of Covid-19 was reduced in September 2020, as Spain just overcame its first infection wave in early summer 2020. In early September 2020, mobility in the city had returned to some normality, with people returning to work and the start of the academic year. To not delay the project any further, recruitment of participants was rolled-out in September 2020. Resulting potential limitations in the generalizability of our findings due to pandemic effects are acknowledged in the discussion.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2022/9
Y1 - 2022/9
N2 - Mobility in cities is changing with the appearance of electric micro-mobilities (EMMs), i.e. e-bikes, e-scooters, e-mopeds. We conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of EMM use on the health of Barcelona adults. Assuming a 5% (S1) and 10% (S2) increase in EMM use, we modelled changes in physical activity (PA), personal air pollution exposure and the risk of fatal traffic accidents. We estimated attributable mortality and morbidity burdens. Health impacts depended on the specific mode shift studied. For S1 and S2, respectively, shifting from cars and motorcycles to EMMs translated into 13 (95% CI: 10;16) (0.13%) and 26 (95% CI: 20;32) (0.25%) preventable deaths annually. Shifting from walking and cycling to EMMs, translated into 17 (95% CI: 20;15) (0.16%) and 35 (95% CI: 41;29) (0.34%) additional deaths annually. Shifting from public transport to e-bikes and e-scooters resulted in 23 (95% CI: 34;12) (0.22%) and 46 (95% CI: 67;24) (0.44%), and 4 (95% CI: 5;3) (0.04%) and 8 (95% CI: 10;5) (0.08%) preventable deaths, respectively, while shifting to e-mopeds resulted in 7 (95% CI: 5;9) (0.07%) and 14 (95% CI: 9;18) (0.14%) additional deaths annually. The gain/loss of PA when shifting from passive/active transport modes to EMMs, contributed strongly to the overall health impact and outweighed air pollution and traffic accident impacts. Trends for morbidity outcomes were similar. If mode shifts happen from passive transport modes, EMMs can provide health (and environmental) benefits.
AB - Mobility in cities is changing with the appearance of electric micro-mobilities (EMMs), i.e. e-bikes, e-scooters, e-mopeds. We conducted a health impact assessment (HIA) of EMM use on the health of Barcelona adults. Assuming a 5% (S1) and 10% (S2) increase in EMM use, we modelled changes in physical activity (PA), personal air pollution exposure and the risk of fatal traffic accidents. We estimated attributable mortality and morbidity burdens. Health impacts depended on the specific mode shift studied. For S1 and S2, respectively, shifting from cars and motorcycles to EMMs translated into 13 (95% CI: 10;16) (0.13%) and 26 (95% CI: 20;32) (0.25%) preventable deaths annually. Shifting from walking and cycling to EMMs, translated into 17 (95% CI: 20;15) (0.16%) and 35 (95% CI: 41;29) (0.34%) additional deaths annually. Shifting from public transport to e-bikes and e-scooters resulted in 23 (95% CI: 34;12) (0.22%) and 46 (95% CI: 67;24) (0.44%), and 4 (95% CI: 5;3) (0.04%) and 8 (95% CI: 10;5) (0.08%) preventable deaths, respectively, while shifting to e-mopeds resulted in 7 (95% CI: 5;9) (0.07%) and 14 (95% CI: 9;18) (0.14%) additional deaths annually. The gain/loss of PA when shifting from passive/active transport modes to EMMs, contributed strongly to the overall health impact and outweighed air pollution and traffic accident impacts. Trends for morbidity outcomes were similar. If mode shifts happen from passive transport modes, EMMs can provide health (and environmental) benefits.
KW - Air pollution
KW - Electric micro-mobility
KW - Health impact assessment
KW - Mental health
KW - Mortality
KW - Physical activity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85132938509&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.eiar.2022.106836
DO - 10.1016/j.eiar.2022.106836
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85132938509
SN - 0195-9255
VL - 96
JO - Environmental Impact Assessment Review
JF - Environmental Impact Assessment Review
M1 - 106836
ER -
