



So, please, cast your mind

We ask:
Why does cycle commuting thrive in some London boroughs more than others

With @morciano_m @Marc_S05 @AUHE_Leeds @HEG_UEA
/1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2020.100945
We use the amazing @UKDSCensus microdata:
a 5% population-representative sample of person-level #UKCensus records
We include 11199 commuters where cycle is
the main mode & 305918 other commuters
& link them to geographic data
e.g.
hills
cycle infrastructure spend
/2


the main mode & 305918 other commuters
& link them to geographic data
e.g.


/2
Part of the answer lies in variation in population characteristics between boroughs
Commuter cycling was:
less common among women vs men
much less common among most ethnic minority groups
Even after controlling other area & person-level characteristics
/3
Commuter cycling was:



/3
Another explanation was variation in cycling infrastructure:
Borough-level cycling infrastructure spending ('01 to '11) was +ve associated with changes in cycling ('01 to '11) after controlling for population changes
This relationship may vary by gender, ethnicity & SES
/4


/4
But here's a thing: we can't really judge if this spend was 'value for money' without a comparison with:
economic evaluations of other cycling projects (we couldn't find any)
other health or transport projects (we couldn't reliably calculate health benefits or QALYs)
/5


/5
And there are many other potential benefits of cycle infrastructure that we couldn't measure:
e.g.
children cycling to school
commuters cycling to the station
lots of us doing more walking & running
nicer places to live & work
Are there other limitations?
Yes
/6
e.g.




Are there other limitations?
Yes

/6
P.S. We also drew concentration curves
In London, cycle commuting was concentrated among higher socioeconomic groups & become more concentrated over time
Elsewhere in England it stayed concentrated among lower SES groups
(45° line if cycling were evenly distributed)


(45° line if cycling were evenly distributed)

And finally -
Here's a quick overview of some nice commuter cycling studies we came across when doing this work
(1)
Lots of evidence showing
cycling=
health &
wellbeing
Most recently by @CHEyork @dukester24 https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4184
Here's a quick overview of some nice commuter cycling studies we came across when doing this work
(1)
Lots of evidence showing



Most recently by @CHEyork @dukester24 https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4184
(2)
Another using #UKCensus finds cycle vs car commuting is associated with:
20% lower rate of all-cause mortality
24% lower rate of CVD mortality
16% lower rate of cancer mortality
@anthonylav @CedarUK http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30079-6
Another using #UKCensus finds cycle vs car commuting is associated with:



@anthonylav @CedarUK http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30079-6
(3)
Similar to our study, Anna Goodman @JennaPanter @CedarUK used #UKCensus data to investigate the role of investment in English Cycle Demonstration Towns between '01 & '11
Commuter cycling increased by 0.69 percentage points vs control group towns https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.08.030
Similar to our study, Anna Goodman @JennaPanter @CedarUK used #UKCensus data to investigate the role of investment in English Cycle Demonstration Towns between '01 & '11

(4)
Jinhyun Hong @UrbanBigData used @StravaMetro data to investigate new cycling infrastructure in Glasgow around the time of the Commonwealth Games between '13 & '16
Monthly total volume of cycling trips made by app users increased by around 15% https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-019-09988-4
Jinhyun Hong @UrbanBigData used @StravaMetro data to investigate new cycling infrastructure in Glasgow around the time of the Commonwealth Games between '13 & '16

(5)
The Propensity to Cycle tool estimates how much commuter cycling would be required in specific towns and cities to meet specified national targets, after accounting for local factors
@robinlovelace @ITSLeeds @CedarUK
https://doi.org/10.5198/jtlu.2016.862

@robinlovelace @ITSLeeds @CedarUK
https://doi.org/10.5198/jtlu.2016.862
(6)
Also using #UKCensus data, @RachelAldred finds that increasing cycling mode share is insufficient to create an inclusive cycling culture
It may be necessary to deliberately target cycling infrastructure towards currently under-represented groups https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2015.1014451
Also using #UKCensus data, @RachelAldred finds that increasing cycling mode share is insufficient to create an inclusive cycling culture
