Analysis and synthesis of evidence on the effects of investment in six Cycling Demonstration Towns

Abstract

This study provides a summary of evidence on changes in cycling and physical activity in six towns following the first phase of the Cycling England/ Department for Transport Cycling Demonstration Town (CDT) investment programme between October 2005 and March 2009. Using data from automatic cycle counters, the interim result for the mean increase in cycling levels across all six towns was 27%, relative to a 2005 baseline. Growth in cyclingin the towns may have been 'patchy', with quite rapid growth on some routes, and little or no growth on others. Using a validated measure of physical activity, EPIC (taking together cycling, other physical exercise, and activity at work), the proportion of adult respondents classed as inactive fell from 26.2% in 2006 to 23.6% in 2009, a fall of 2.6%-points or 10%. Looking across all schools for which data are available in the six towns (both those with travel plans and those without travel plans), the proportionof children who usually cycled to school increased by 16% or 0.3%-points (from 1.9% to 2.2%) over a 12-month period. Although starting with higher levels of cycling, those aged under 34 showed relatively little change in their cycling behaviour. The largest changes in behaviour appear to have come from people in the 'middle' and 'older' age groups. Male respondents were generally more likely to have cycled in the last year than female respondents, but in the three years between the baseline and 2009 survey, cycling levels had increased amongst both male and female respondents, by a similar number of percentage-points. Looking at both sets of figures for occasional and regular cyclists, it appears that the increase in prevalence of cycling seen in the CDT local authorities is absent in the non-CDT localauthorities. Growth rate in the CDTs is in line with that which was achieved in London over the period since 2005 (although not as much as the ratein London between 2003 and 2005, which, speculatively, may perhaps be related to the introduction of the congestion charge in February 2003). At the programme level, the analysis carried out to date suggests that the investment in the Cycling Demonstration Towns provided good value for money. For each £1 invested, the value of decreased mortality is £2.59.

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