when walking makes you happy...

Montreal’s McGill University has attempted to establish a hierarchy of the six most pleasant means of transport for users: pedestrians are the happiest ones;

http://www.sustainable-mobility.org/getting-around-today/pedestrians/walking-makes-you-happy.html

Health Economic Assessment Tool by the World Health Organisation

The World Health Organisation has released a new updated tool that helps make an economic assessment of the health benefits of walking or cycling; the Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT), which can be used when planning new infrastructure for cyclists or pedestrians, and provides valuable information for related economic and health impact assessments.

The tool can also help make the case for more investment in cycling and walking facilities by estimating the benefits of achieving national targets or illustrating potential consequences of declines in current levels of cycling or walking. HEAT can also assess a city’s current situation or past investment related to cycling and walking.

More info: http://www.heatwalkingcycling.org/

growth of electric cars in the EU

The number of electric cars in the EU has doubled in 2013 up to 50,000, but the zero-emission vehicles still only account for one in every 250 new cars sold.

EU accounts for about a quarter of global sales, with sales varying widely; Norway and the Netherlands achieved over 5%, compared to less than 1% elsewhere -in these two countries generous fiscal incentives drove the market in 2013.

More info: http://www.transportenvironment.org/publications/electric-vehicles-2013-progress-report

road construction financing

Will toll roads, P3s and creative financing be a long-term disaster for the road building industry?
http://www.betterroads.com/toll-roads-p3s-and-creative-financing-will-bring-short-term-gain-long-term-disaster-for-the-road-building-industry/