ways2work > How to do it > Re-thinking commuting > What we could do differently > Encouraging cycling and walking for work > Walking benefits
Walking benefits
ways2work has produced an advisory note called Encouraging Walking in Business which is a complete guide for employers wishing to support and encourage more walking in relation to journeys for work. This document can be accesses in the Members' area and we recommend it as your starting point.
As well as encouraging walking to, from and for work many businesses set up and encourage lunch time walks to enable employees to relax and re-energise themselves. Cambourne Business Park, near Cambridge, has arranged 40 minute ‘healthy lunchtime walks’ with support from the local medical practice and the district council. The aim is to both promote the benefits of walking and to encourage staff to walk to work.
Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridgehas more than doubled walking to work from 4% in 1993 to 9% in 2006. A reduction in car parking, which is restricted on site given the requirement for additional hospital facilities, and emissions – plus improved employee health – are the key benefits.
Olympic Delivery Authority
10% of the Olympic Park construction workforce walk or cycle to work thanks to walking maps and other ‘active travel’ encouragements. This is a significant benefit to the ODA in terms of effective site use.
Buckinghamshire County Council
an increase in walking made up almost half the reduction in employee car use between 1998 and 2003 enabling the council to make more effective use of its limited car parking facilities whilst improving employee health and wellbeing.
Kingston College
the promotion of walking, new shower and changing facilities and no parking permits for new staff, has resulted in the proportion of staff walking increasing from 8% in 2001 to 18% in 2006. This has allowed the college to manage within its existing resources.
Walkit is a walking route planner which will give you a route map between two urban points including your journey time, calorie burn, step count and carbon saving.
Living Streets offer consultancy services to businesses to help increase walking to work. Read BskyB’s case study here – they benefitted from Living Streets ‘walking doctors’ talking with their staff. Living Streets also run national Walk to Work week each spring which is a great way to encourage employees to try out walking to work. That doesn’t need to be all the way from home, but could be from the train station, or getting off the bus a couple of stops earlier. Each year more and more employers sign up to Walk to Work week and compete against each other for the most miles walked in a week.