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The latest City Ratings, a data analysis tool ranking global cities and towns for how amenable they are to cycling, has been released.
The new annualised data shows that whilst London continues to lead the way in England, the country as a whole continues to lag seriously behind other European countries.
This data will be of concern to cyclists and transport campaigners, four years on from the launch of Gear Change, the outgoing Government’s flagship approach to cycling.
Gear Change set out an ambitious target of 50% of journeys in towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030, yet this data from PeopleForBikes shows how little provision there continues to be for safe cycling.
The tool provides a ranking of cities’ cyclability by the US advocacy group, which has been calculated annually since 2017.
This year, the data for England includes London, Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, Yorkshire, Surrey, Cheshire, Oxford, Cambridge and more.
City Ratings scores and rankings measure the quality and connectivity of a city’s bike network, including the efficacy of connected, protected bike lanes, bike paths, low-speed limits, and safe crossings.
London leads the way
This year, 83 locations were rated, which is up from 53 last year – as the project continues to grow.
As with last year, London leads the way in England, with 16 of the 20 highest rated Boroughs being in the capital.
The highest rated location, however, is Cambridge (84 out of 100).
This is closely followed by Hackney and Islington, both (both 82).
These areas tend to have fewer ‘’high-stress’’ roads, fracturing the overall bike network, and feature low-speed limits (20 mph).
When looking at averages, London has a rating of 69, followed by Greater Manchester on 49 and the West Midlands on 46.
The aim of this data is to spotlight the best cities and towns for cycling, as well as provide city leaders and campaigners with actionable insights to make cycling better in their communities.
This comes at a time when political parties will be making commitments on transport and laying out their vision for Active Travel.
According to this data, the worst three boroughs in London are Bromley (52), Harrow (51), and Barnet (50). The disparity in provision within London shows the scale of the challenge more widely.
England continues to lag behind European countries
When looking at the ratings for European locations, four countries fill the top 10.
The Netherlands has five cities in the top 10: The Hague (89), Utrecht (86), Almere (85), Eindhoven (85) and Amsterdam (85).
France and Belgium have two cities in the top 10, with Germany having one.
Paris comes in second place, just behind The Hague with a rating of 87.
When compared to international cities, three London boroughs are ranked among the top 20 overall.
Hackney in 13th (82), Islington in 15th (82) and Southwark in 19th (80).
West Midlands and Greater Manchester
The West Midlands and Greater Manchester have seen considerable commitments to cycling in recent years.
In Greater Manchester, Mayor Andy Burnham initiated the Bee Network, an integrated approach to transport which includes cycling.
However, he has faced some criticism for rejecting a Clean Air Zone, which could have positively impacted the level of traffic on roads.
The “lack of safe cycling infrastructure and progress” is reflected in the lower average rating for Greater Manchester, lagging behind London on 49.
The West Midlands, which includes the city of Birmingham, will be keen to lay its claim as the UK’s second city but falls behind Manchester in the 2024 ratings.
This area has seen investment and strong delivery progress under the leadership of outgoing Mayor Andy Street – with campaigners highlighting the need for equal ambition from new Labour Mayor Richard Parker.
With England currently in the middle of a General Election, campaigners and local authorities will look to any incoming Government for clarity on its approach to Active Travel.
PeopleForBikes hopes that this campaign will give activists and key stakeholders the data to make the case for safer cycling infrastructure and its many benefits.
Jenn Dice, PeopleForBikes president and CEO, said: ‘’The data for England clearly shows not only a divide between London and other cities but between England and other European countries. We’re hopeful that the data surfaces valuable lessons for local authorities, campaigners, and everyone who wants to see more and better cycling infrastructure.’’
‘’These ratings highlight the incredible progress and ongoing challenges for cycling infrastructure across the UK. Cambridge’s top ranking and the strong performance of several London boroughs demonstrate what is possible with committed leadership and investment in safe, accessible cycling.
“Our aim with this data is to celebrate these successes and provide actionable steps for city leaders and campaigners to improve cycling infrastructure in their communities. As political parties outline their visions for transportation and recreation, they must prioritise active transportation to create healthier, more sustainable cities.”
