Economic benefits of increased cycling

Cycling is not only improving the livability of cities, public health, air quality, or the CO2 balance, it also creates "hard economic value and jobs". It is therefore a perfect tool for transition in the transport sector, providing a large number of assets, including jobs. Although the latter point is important to attract public authority consideration and investment in cycling, good information has hitherto been lacking. At regional or city level, some estimates of jobs in the cycling sector are available. At European level however, job figures have been quite scarce. This is the reason why ECF, in partnership with its Cycling Industry Club (CIC), asked TML to assess the jobs in the European cycling sector. TML assessed the number of jobs today and in the future, assuming a doubling in the modal share of cycling. It calculated full-time equivalent jobs in 5 subsectors: bicycle retail (mainly sales and repair), bicycle industry (manufacturing and wholesale), bicycle infrastructure, bicycle tourism (accommodation and restaurants), bicycle services. For most sectors job figures linked to cycling were not directly available. TML therefore consulted literature, national studies on the subject, national accounts, used some proxies and did some statistical analysis to provide estimates of jobs in the cycling sector. The study found that more than 650,000 jobs are linked to cycling today in the EU-27 and more than 400,000 new ones could be created in the future with a doubling of cycling modal share. Other interesting findings concern the characteristics of these jobs. Cycling could, compared to other sectors, create: more local jobs, more jobs for lower skilled workers, more jobs per euro spent. It could thus open an interesting window for opportunity for a transition to a more inclusive Europe. In 2015, ECF is producing another report on the economic benefits of cycling, more specifically regarding benefits which occur at the local level. Several studies have shown that, besides creating jobs, making cities more cycling-friendly has beneficial effects for e.g. the businesses of local retailers or for property value along traffic-calmed roads. ECF's aim is to provide an overview of the results of the research done so far and identify areas where further investigation is needed. The paper summarises both reports in order to show how cycling as a mode of transport is a factor of economic growth and provides social benefits. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.