Cycling is often seen as a cheap, healthy, and eco-friendly way to get around. But is it really an option for everyone?
Eugeni Vidal-Tortosa, a member of GEMOTT, worked on research along with colleagues from the University of Leeds, using national travel data from England to explore how income and social background shape cycling habits.
Hereโs what they found:
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People with lower incomes were less likely to cycle for everyday transport, even though they often lived closer to work or shopsโand couldโve benefited most from low-cost travel.
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When it came to leisure cycling, income didnโt strongly affect whether people rodeโbut it did influence how they cycled: lower-income cyclists tended to ride more frequently, while higher-income riders covered longer distances.
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The findings suggested that access to bikes, safe routes, and cycling-friendly environments may not have been evenly distributed.
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While encouraging cycling is important, it is necessary to consider broader factors such as affordability, safety, and infrastructure to ensure that cycling is a viable option for more people.
Why this matters:
If we want cycling to be a real tool for health, sustainability, and equity, it has to work for everyone. That means affordable bikes, inclusive planning, and support for communities often left behind.
Cycling shouldnโt be a luxuryโit should be a choice thatโs available to all.
๐ Tortosa, E. V., Lovelace, R., Heinen, E., & Mann, R. P. (2021). Cycling behaviour and socioeconomic disadvantage: An investigation based on the English National Travel Survey.Transportation research part A: policy and practice, 152, 173-185.
