Southampton City Region Walking and Cycling Index

Formerly known as Bike Life, this is the UK's biggest ever study of walking, wheeling and cycling.

The residents of Southampton City Region overwhelmingly support measures to help more people walk, wheel or cycle their journeys.

Every year, walking and cycling in Southampton City Region results in:

893

serious long-term health conditions prevented

£226 million

in economic benefit for individuals and the region

16,000 tonnes

of greenhouse gas emissions saved

Icon of navy car.

Up to 97,000

cars taken off the road every day

Sanjay, a Consultant Pathologist at Southampton Hospital, smiles with his bike outside his place of work

Sanjay, Consultant Pathologist at Southampton Hospital

I cycle regularly from Chandlers Ford to Southampton General Hospital. But this wasn’t always the case.

I cycled a bit before. In lockdown, the roads were quieter and I decided to cycle more.

Driving felt inefficient – I questioned why I was driving daily to and from Chandlers Ford. So I bought a bike through the hospital’s Cycle to Work Scheme.

I’d like to see more cycling infrastructure. Otherwise, you rely on drivers to be kinder and more cautious.

  

In Southampton City Region, walking has overtaken cars* as the most used form of urban transport.

46% of residents walk, 39% use a car, 6% cycle and only 4% use public transport at least five or more days each week.

Alongside this, residents want better streets, with 75% saying that nicer places along streets to stop and rest, such as more benches, trees and shelter, would encourage them to walk or wheel more.

59% agree that increasing space for people socialising, walking, and cycling on their local high street would improve their local area.

69% of residents said they would cycle more if there were more traffic-free cycle routes away from roads, e.g. through parks or along waterways.

*Compared to 2019 data.

Front cover of the Southampton Walking and Cycling Index

Download the Southampton City Region Walking and Cycling Index

See Southampton City Region's vision for walking, wheeling and cycling.

Download the report.

This report is also available in a text-only format.

  

Southampton City Region through the years

This is the second time we've assessed cycling in Southampton City Region. Download the previous report:

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