Many developed nations are in the grip of an obesity epidemic with far reaching consequences for society. Nearly one in four adults in England is obese and rates have trebled since 1980. Obese people are at significantly higher risk of ill-health and early death from a range of chronic diseases, principally type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease including stroke, as well as cancer. Obesity can impair a person’s well-being, quality of life and ability to earn.

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Walking is the most basic form of physical activity humans can undertake to maintain good health. A key paper setting out the benefits of walking was published in 1997 and remains an important resource for walking promotion.1 This set out that regular walking reduces the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, deaths from all causes, and helps to counter depression and maintain mental wellbeing. Walking is a rhythmic, dynamic, aerobic activity of large skeletal muscles that confers the multifarious benefits of this with minimal adverse effects.

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A recurring concern among both officers and Members is that road traffic capacity reductions such as the ‘loss’ of a primary network link will lead to traffic ‘chaos’ and gridlock. On occasion, this expectation has been so strong that it has prevented a scheme to reduce road capacity or reallocation of road capacity from cars to other classes of traffic from being implemented. By 1997 there was, however, a growing body of evidence that such fears may be exaggerated.

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As noted in Essential Evidence No.3, there are many types of research evidence. When assessing the health efforts of cycling there is, as of 2008, a significant body of literature to back up the assertion that cycling has a positive impact on health. This includes long term epidemiological studies1 to experimental designs. Studies which follow cohorts of subjects over time and compare the relationships between different variables provide strong evidence for associations between a behaviour, such as cycling, and health.

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Anyone faced with making a decision about the effectiveness of a road transport intervention, such as traffic restraint or cycling promotion behaviour change programme, faces a formidable task. The research findings to help answer the question may exist, but locating the research,1 assessing its evidential “weight” and relevance, and incorporating it with other information is often difficult.2 More particularly, it is recognised that transport planning practitioners may have little background in evidence-based research.

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Segmentation is increasingly recognised as an important tool in delivery of travel behaviour change away from car use. In simple terms, some individuals and groups are more amenable to travel behaviour change than others. Approaches to segmentation have been developed in transport planning from the 1970s. 1 Behaviour change has also been a major focus of health psychology and health promotion and segmentation has been applied through various models such as the Stages of Change model (Pre-contemplation; Contemplation; Preparation; Action; Maintenance). 2

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