Cambridge way out ahead as city with most folks who cycle to work

The Office of National Statistics drips out its stats over a long period of time. Last week’s release shows that only Oxford is anywhere near to Cambridge in terms of the number of those in work who cycle. However, some boroughs of London are experiencing explosive growth in cycling.

Cambridge City Councillor Colin Rosenstiel took the figures in the census table and subtracted those not in work and working at home.

Cambridge 31.9
Oxford 18.7
Scilly Isles 18.4
Hackney 15.4
York 12.1
Gosport 11.2
Cambridgeshire 10.3
Islington 10.1

In 2011, the majority of those employment travelled to work by driving a car or van, 15.3 million people, or 58 per cent of the working population. The second most reported method of travel to work was by foot (11 per cent, 2.8 million). Nationally, cycling to work is statistically low but there are pockets of huge use, evidence of localised ‘bike booms’.

“In Hackney, more people cycle to work than drive to work,” points out Danny Williams of the influential cyclists in the city blog.

“In Westminster, however, twice as many people drive to work as cycle to work. 11.2% of Westminster’s population drives to work and only 5.3% cycles. In Hackney, 15.4% cycle and 12.8% drive.”

Williams says this is not due to topography but policy:

“If you review the policies of Hackney and Westminster, you’ll see that Hackney makes it easier to cycle than to drive. The City of Westminster, however, makes it easier to drive than cycle.”