As doctors, nurses, public health and transport researchers, health promotion organisations and industry groups, we fully support individuals, communities, and governments in their rapid and effective action in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognise the importance of social distancing, with particular need to protect the most vulnerable.
During this time, however, all of our existing social and health risks do not simply go away. The Australian Government recognises this, and has listed physical activity as one of four essential activities. (1)
Walking and cycling for physical activity and mental health
Walking and cycling, whether for essential workers to commute to and from work, or for the purposes of recreation, provide easy opportunity for physical activity and adherence to social distancing. Physical activity has substantial and wide-reaching physical health benefits (such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancers, dementia and diabetes), and is also beneficial for mental health. (2,3)
Furthermore, safe cycling and walking will be imperative in reactivating our economy when social distancing measures are relaxed. This will enable people to travel to work and school using transport modes that are both safe and healthy.
Walking and cycling for long term social distancing
Walking and cycling are compatible with social distancing. Social distancing is frequently challenging to maintain on public transport, so shifting even a proportion of these passengers to walking or cycling trips will have infection control advantages that limit transmission. If there is not a significant shift to cycling or walking, there will likely be a commensurate increase in use of private cars, leading to increased congestion, pollution and reduced community amenity.
Anecdotally, there have been significant increases in cycling and walking as forms of exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic, including in children. However, current cycling and walking infrastructure is often inadequate in providing safety and sufficient space to facilitate the recommended 1.5m of physical distance between persons. This demonstrates the clear need for the rapid roll-out of cycling and walking infrastructure in Australia. Reported decreases in motor vehicle traffic (4) provide a unique opportunity to repurpose space usually allocated to motor vehicles for temporary infrastructure to support cycling and walking.
Additionally, there is some emerging evidence of increased deaths of pedestrians and cyclists,(5,6,7) further demonstrating the need to act rapidly to support safe physical activity.
Australia lagging behind the rest of the world
There are numerous examples across the world of the rapid roll-out of social distancing infrastructure to support cycling and walking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures have included reduced speed limits, widened footpaths, emergency cycle lanes, streets closed to motor traffic or removal of manual pedestrian buttons. New Zealand have recently announced substantial funding to support the roll-out of interim measures to make it safer and easier for people walking
and cycling,(8) and the UK have given local authorities the power to quickly and easily make roads car-free, widen footpaths, or install temporary cycle lanes.9 As yet, we have not seen a similar response in Australia, despite the urgent need.
Thus, we call on decision makers to take urgent steps to enhance walking and cycling during the pandemic through these or other measures to ensure that safe physical activity and social distancing can occur on our streets now and when the economy is reopened.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Ben Beck, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University and President of the Australasian Injury Prevention Network (AIPN)
Associate Professor Guillermo Aranda-Mena, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University
Professor Bruce Armstrong, School of Global and Population Health, The University of Western Australia
Dr Courtney Babb, Senior Lecturer, School of Design and the Built Environment, Curtin University
Associate Professor Hannah Badland, Principal Research Fellow, Deputy Director Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University
Dr John Bonning, President, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM)
Associate Professor Julie Brown, Head, Injury Program, The George Institute for Global Health
Associate Professor Matthew Burke, Transport Academic Partnership Chair, Cities Research Institute, Griffith University
Professor Jane Burry, Dean School of Design, Swinburne University of Technology
Associate Professor Andrew Butt, Associate Dean Sustainability and Urban Planning, RMIT University
Professor Peter Cameron, Academic Director of The Alfred Emergency and Trauma Centre and Professor of Emergency and Divisional Head of Health Services Research, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
Jes Chalmers, CEO, Kidsafe ACT
Professor Judith Charlton, Director, Monash University Accident Research Centre
Dr Nicholas Cheng, Paediatric Emergency Physician, Vice Chair Kidsafe NSW, Conjoint Lecturer UNSW
Associate Professor Hayley Christian, Senior Research Fellow, National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow, Head – Child Physical Activity, Health & Development, Telethon Kids Institute and School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia
Embargo: 1am Thursday, 23 April
Dr Laura Crommelin, Research Lecturer, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW
Dr John Crozier, Chair Trauma Committee, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Dr Mya Cubitt, Emergency Physician and Faculty Chair, VIC Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM)
Professor Graham Currie, Professor of Public Transport, Public Transport Research Group, Monash University
Professor Kate Curtis, Professor of Emergency and Trauma Nursing, University of Sydney, Childhood Injury Prevention Alliance
Dr Melanie Davern, Director Australian Urban Observatory, Senior Research Fellow and CoDirector Healthy Liveable Cities Group, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University
Professor Evelyne de Leeuw, Director, Centre for Health Equity Training, Research & Evaluation (CHETRE), Part of the UNSW Australia Research Centre for Primary Health Care & Equity, a Unit of Population Health, South Western Sydney Local Health District, NSW Health, a member of the Ingham Institute
Dr Helen Donovan, Executive Director, Walking SA
Professor Jago Dodson, Professor of Urban Policy and Director of the Centre for Urban Research at RMIT University
Professor Kim Dovey, Professor of Architecture and Urban Design, Director, InfUr- Informal Urbanism Research Hub, University of Melbourne
Professor David Dunstan, Head, Physical Activity, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute
Dr Michael Ee, Paediatric Surgeon, Royal Hobart Hospital, RACS Regional (Tasmania) Trauma Chair
Dr Christina Ekegren, Senior Research Fellow, Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University and School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
Associate Professor Daniel Ellis, Director of Trauma, Royal Adelaide Hospital, and Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University
Ms Christine Erskine, Executive Officer, Kidsafe NSW
Dr Ben Ewald, General Practitioner and Conjoint Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle
Associate Professor Diana Fisher, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland
Dr Elliot Fishman, Director, Transport Innovation, Institute for Sensible Transport
Dr Lai Heng Foong, Chair, Public Health and Disaster Committee, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM), and Emergency Physician, Sydney
Embargo: 1am Thursday, 23 April
Professor Belinda Gabbe, Head, Prehospital, Emergency and Trauma Research, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
Distinguished Professor Billie Giles-Corti, Director of Urban Futures Enabling Capability Platform & Convener of the Healthy Liveable Cities Group, RMIT University
Dr Fiona Gray, Adjunct Associate Professor, Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University
Professor Stephen Greaves, Professor of Transport Management, Institute of Transport & Logistics Studies, University of Sydney
Professor Raphael Grzebieta PhD, Emeritus Professor (Road Safety), Transport and Road Safety (TARS) Research Centre, School of Aviation, UNSW Sydney and Adjunct Professor (Injury Prevention), Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University
Dr Nyssa Hadgraft, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Transitions, Swinburne University of Technology
Dr Genevieve Hamilton, General Practitioner, Kardinia Health Belmont
Prof Margaret Hamilton, Professor Computer Science & IT, RMIT University
Dr Natasha Hamilton, Paediatrician, Launceston General Hospital, Lecturer University of Tasmania
Associate Professor Julie Hatfield, Senior Lecturer, Transport and Road Safety Research Centre, School of Aviation, The University of NSW
Professor Narelle Haworth, Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland, Queensland University of Technology
Dr Kristiann C Heesch, Senior Lecturer in Health Promotion, School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology
Stephen Hodge, Director – National Advocacy, We Ride Australia
Ms Claire Howe, Chief Executive Officer, Australasian College of Road Safety
Dr Kate Hunter, Senior Research Fellow, The George Institute for Global Health; Conjoint Senior Lecturer, The University of New South Wales; and Chair, Kidsafe NSW.
Professor Rebecca Ivers, Head, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW
Associate Professor Kurt Iveson, Associate Professor of Urban Geography, University of Sydney
Professor Monika Janda, Professor of Behavioural Science, Centre for Health Services Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland
Dr Marilyn Johnson, Senior Researcher, Monash University Institute of Transport Studies and Research and Policy Manager, Amy Gillett Foundation
Dr. David King, Senior Lecturer, Primary Care Clinical Unit, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland
Embargo: 1am Thursday, 23 April
Adjunct Professor John Kelly, CEO Heart Foundation
Dr Annette Kroen, Research Fellow Transport and Planning, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University
Associate Professor Tess Lea, Department of Gender and Cultural Studies, University of Sydney
Dr Crystal Legacy, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of Melbourne
Prof. David Levinson, Professor of Transport, School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney
Ms Sandy Lukjanowski, Chief Executive, Injury Matters
Dr Jamie Mackenzie, Research Fellow, Centre for Automotive Safety Research – The University of Adelaide
Dr Iderlina Mateo-Babiano, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Tema Milstein, Associate Professor of Environment & Society, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, UNSW
Associate Professor Irene Moser, Academic Director of Researcher Training, School of Software and Electrical Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology
Professor Neville Owen, Laboratory Head, Behavioural Epidemiology, Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute
Associate Professor Jennie Oxley, Monash University Accident Research Centre
Professor Chris Pettit, Director – City Analytics, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney
Mr Scott Phillips, CEO, Kidsafe Western Australia
Yvonne Poon, Vice-President, WalkSydney
Dr Jeff Potter, Chair, Victorian Chapter, Australasian College of Road Safety
Dr Jerome N Rachele, Lecturer in Public Health, College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University
Mr Craig Ray, President, Kidsafe Queensland
Dr Lindsey Reece, Director, SPRINTER Research Group, Prevention Research Collaboration, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney
Professor Chris Rissel, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney
Professor Geoff Rose, Director, Monash Institute of Transport Studies, Monash University
Dr Ben Rossiter, Executive Officer, Victoria Walks
Embargo: 1am Thursday, 23 April
Dr Helen Sadler, General Practitioner, East Fremantle Medical Centre
Professor Jo Salmon, Co-Director, Institute for Physical Activity & Nutrition, Deakin University
Professor Paul Salmon, Director, Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems, University of the Sunshine Coast Harold Scruby, CEO/Chairman, Pedestrian Council of Australia
Professor Cathie Sherrington, Professorial Research Fellow, Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, School of Public Health, University of Sydney
Terry Slevin, CEO, Public Health Association of Australia
Mr Martin Small, President, Australasian College of Road Safety
Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, Professor of Physical Activity, Lifestyle, and Population Health, Charles Perkins Centre & School of Health Sciences, University of Sydney
Dr Christopher Standen, Research Fellow, Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, UNSW
Professor Mark Stevenson, Professor of Urban Transport and Public Health, Melbourne Schools of Design, Engineering, and Population and Global Health, and Director, Transport, Health and Urban Design Research Hub, University of Melbourne
Professor Leon Straker, John Curtin Distinguished Professor, School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University
Dr Elizabeth Taylor Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning and Design, Monash Art Design and Architecture, Monash University
Dr Sarah Taylor, Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Social Housing and Homelessness Research), School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, College of Design and Social Context, RMIT University
Associate Professor Warwick Teague, Director of Trauma Services, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne
Dr Jason Thompson, Senior Research Fellow, Transport, Health and Urban Design Research Hub, University of Melbourne
Professor Susan Thompson, Head, City Wellbeing Program, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW
Associate Professor Amelia Thorpe, Faculty of Law, UNSW Sydney
Dr Greg van Schie, Radiologist, Head of Department at Royal Perth Hospital and Co-Head of Department at Fiona Stanley Hospital
Dr Lennert Veerman, Professor of Public Health, Griffith University
Associate Professor Jenny Veitch, National Heart Foundation of Australia Future Leader Fellow, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University
Embargo: 1am Thursday, 23 April
Professor Marcus White, Director of the Spatio-temporal Research Architecture and Urban Design Lab, Swinburne University of Technology
Professor Simon Watkins, Professor of Automotive Engineering, RMIT University
Ms Kerryn Wilmot, Research Principal, Architect, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
Dr Ian Woodcock, Senior Lecturer, Director of Urban Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
Associate Professor Jeremy Woolley, Director of the Centre for Automotive Safety Research, The University of Adelaide
Dr Belen Zapata-Diomedi, Vice-Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow, Healthy Liveable Cities Group, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University
Dr Chrystal Zhang, Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Aviation, RMIT University
Australasian College of Road Safety
Doctors for the Environment Australia
Kidsafe
The Committee for Sydney
The Committee for Adelaide
1 https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/how-to-protect-yourself-and-others-from-coronavirus-covid-19/social-distancing-for-coronavirus-covid-19 2 Celis-Morales, C. A., Lyall, D. M., Welsh, P., Anderson, J., Steell, L., Guo, Y., … & Gill, J. M. (2017). Association between active commuting and incident cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality: prospective cohort study. BMJ, 357, j1456. 3 Chekroud, S. R., Gueorguieva, R., Zheutlin, A. B., Paulus, M., Krumholz, H. M., Krystal, J. H., & Chekroud, A. M. (2018). Association between physical exercise and mental health in 1· 2 million individuals in the USA between 2011 and 2015: a cross-sectional study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 5(9), 739-746.
4 https://www.arrb.com.au/latest-research/data-sheds-new-light-on-covid-19-effects?fbclid=IwAR2C37MlfBfz_qB6Ip6xfb2Tu5pTeYGj6baIXvKqlHA3NsMd8szdgPlmExk
5 https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/downloads/dynamic/nsw-road-toll-daily.pdf (as of 20/04/2020)
6 https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/road-safety/statistics (as of 20/04/2020)
7 http://www.tac.vic.gov.au/road-safety/statistics/lives-lost-year-to-date (as of 20/04/2020)
8 https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/120970386/how-coronavirus-will-change-the-face-of-the-cbd
9 https://lcrig.org.uk/news/traffic-regulation-orders-covid19-guidance