Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on walking and cycling.
Travel during 2020 was considerably impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In 2020, total trip rates fell by 22% compared to 2019, with decreases seen in all modes of transport except cycling and walks over a mile.
During 2020, compared to 2019:
- cycling trips per person increased by 23%, from 17 trips per person to 21 trips per person
- miles cycled per person increased by 62% to the highest levels since 2002, from 54 miles per person to 88 miles per person
- walking trips per person decreased by 16%, from 332 trips per person to 281 trips per person
- miles walked per person increased by 7% to 220 miles per person, the highest levels since 2002
- Walking trips of over a mile increased by 26% to 92 stages per person
Whilst both men and women saw increases in average cycling stages compared to 2019, women saw a larger increase in cycling levels compared to men, a 56% increase compared to a 12% increase for men.
In 2019, men cycled almost 3 times (26 trips per person) as much than women (9 trips per person). In 2020, this dropped to 2 times more than women, or double (29 trips per person compared to 14 trips per person for women).
Women are consistently more likely than men (71% compared to 61% in 2020) to comment that ‘It is too dangerous to cycle on roads.’
You can read the full report by visiting www.gov.uk
