Statistical Release 12 July 2016 Local Area Walking and Cycling Statistics: England, 2014/15 The percentage of people walking frequently in England has increased significantly for a second consecutive year. The proportion of adults % walk at least: 2014/15: % point change About this release since 2012/13 walking at least once, three This Statistical Release 1x a month 86.3 0.0 presents information on walking and five times a week and cycling by adults (aged 16 1x a week 80.6 3.3 and over) in England for local increased by 3.3, 7.1 and authorities and regions for the 6.9 percentage points since 3x a week 61.8 7.1 year ending mid-October 2015. The statistics in this release 2012/13. 5x a week 50.6 6.9 are based on results from the Active People Survey (APS9), % Percentage point These changes were largely change 2012/13 an annual telephone survey to 2014/15 60 administered by Sport England. driven by the increase in Total 51% 6.9 Data on cycling rates are 50 people walking for utility 1.9 available on a consistent basis Utility and recreational purposes 9% from the survey for 5 years and purposes. For example, adults 40 3 years for walking rates. walking at least five times 30 Utility purposes only 25% 4.4 a week for utility purposes 20 In this increased by 4.4 percentage 10 Recreational purposes only 17% 0.6 publication points since 2012/13. 0 Prevalence ........................p2 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Local authorities.................p4 Time spent.........................p8 15% of adults in England Wandsworth 12.5 Purpose.............................p9 cycled at least once a month Age/Gender.......................p10 South Norfolk 10.6 Urban and rural ................p11 in 2014/15, similar to previous Barrow-in-Furness 9.8 Ethnicity ...........................p12 years. Some local authorities Elevation ..........................p13 City of London 9.4 had large annual increases Bicycle ownership.............p15 Surrey Heath 7.4 Safety perceptions............p15 including Wandsworth, Road safety.......................p16 South Norfolk and Barrow-in- England -0.3 Background ......................p18 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Furness. Percentage point change between 2013/14 and 2014/15 What we can conclude What we can’t conclude There has been a statistically signficant increase in the % of We cannot be certain of the reasons behind any changes people reporting they are walking frequently. There has been no in reported walking or cycling levels at national or local statistically significant change in reported cycling prevalence in authority level, or if what respondents report translates into England overall but there is variation amongst local authorities. their actual walking and cycling behaviour. RESPONSIBLE STATISTICIAN: Adam Evans 020 7944 6104 FURTHER INFORMATION: Media: 020 7944 3066 Public: 020 7944 6104 [email protected] Prevalence of walking and cycling Walking Active People 86% of adults in England walk at least once per month for any purpose, Survey which is unchanged from 2013/14 and equivalent to 38.3 million adults1. Figures in this release are based on the Active The proportion who walk for recreation (54%) is slightly lower than the People Survey (APS) administered by Sport proportion who walk for utility purposes (60%). 17% of adults reported England unless otherwise having a disability which limits their ability to walk or cycle. stated. The survey consists of 165,000 respondents aged 16 and over (defined Cycling here as adults) in England For further details see the Cycling prevalence is considerably lower than walking prevalence, with ‘Background Information’ section. 15% of adults cycling at least once per month for any purpose. This is Recreation purposes 1 equivalent to about 6.5 million people . For the pleasure or value of the activity, or enjoyment of Chart 1: Percentage of residents walking and cycling at different the surroundings. frequencies, by purpose: England 2014/15 (table CW0103) Utility purposes Getting from A to B, which might be commuting, % Any purpose % Any purpose but would also include 100 16 90 purposes such as 14 80 shopping, going to the 70 12 library, college or hospital, 60 10 or visiting friends. 50 8 40 Utility walking and 6 cycling 30 4 20 The APS asks respondents 10 2 how many days they 86 81 62 51 14.7 9.5 4.4 2.6 0 0 have walked in the past 4 At least: 1 x per 1 x per 3 x per 5 x per 1 x per 1 x per 3 x per 5 x per weeks, and how many of month week week week month week week week these days they walked % Recreational % Recreational for recreational purposes. 100 16 Walking for utility purposes is calculated by subtracting 90 14 80 days walked recreationally 12 70 from total days walked. For 60 10 example if a respondent 50 8 said they have walked 40 6 for 20 days in the past 4 30 weeks but no recreational 4 20 walking days, then it is 10 2 54 43 25 17 10.0 5.4 1.6 0.6 assumed the respondent 0 0 walked for utility purposes At least: 1 x per 1 x per 3 x per 5 x per 1 x per 1 x per 3 x per 5 x per for 20 days (a frequency of month week week week month week week week “at least 5 times a week”). % Utility % Utility If the respondent walked 100 16 for 20 days, 15 of which 90 14 were recreational, then it is 80 12 assumed the other 5 days 70 involved utility walking. This 10 60 respondent walked 5 times 50 8 a week with a combination 40 6 of recreational and utility 30 4 walking. 20 10 2 1 Based on ONS 2015 Mid 60 53 36 25 6.5 4.5 2.6 1.5 0 0 Year Estimates for ages 16+ At least: 1 x per 1 x per 3 x per 5 x per 1 x per 1 x per 3 x per 5 x per month week week week month week week week Statistical Release - Local Area Walking and Cycling Statistics - Page 2 of 19 Changes in walking prevalence over time Walking Detailed statistics The proportion of people walking at least once a month in England has Detailed statistics on remained at 86% for the past three years. However the proportion of walking, including at local authority level, can be people walking at least once a week, 3 times a week and 5 times a week found in table CW0105. have all experienced statistically significant increases for 2 consecutive years. This suggests that there is no change in the percentage of people Definitions that walk, but that people are walking more frequently. Significant The size of the value is sufficient that we can be % point change highly confident that the % walk at least: 2012/13: 2013/14: 2014/15: since 2012/13: measure reflects the whole population, and is not just a random outcome (see 1x a month 86.3 86.3 86.3 0.0 Strengths and Weaknesses * * of the Data). A 95% 1x a week 77.3 78.9 80.6 3.3 confidence threshold * * was used, meaning iff 3x a week 54.7 57.9 61.8 7.1 we ran the same-sized * * sample 100 times, in 95 5x a week 43.8 47.2 50.6 6.9 cases we would correctly ascribe the change as large enough to count as These increases have largely been driven by increases in walking for utility statistically significant in the purposes. For example, the proportion of people walking at least 5 times population. In the publication, changes a week for utility purposes has increased significantly by 4.4 percentage that are statistically points since 2012/13 whereas the proportion walking for recreational pur- significant are marked with an asterisk (*). poses increased by 0.6 percentage points. Time Series We have three years Chart 2: Percentage of adults walking at least 5 times a week for of comparable data for walking and 5 years of each purpose: England 2014/15 (table CW0105) comparable data for cycling (albeit only 3 years of data % Percentage point for recreational and utility change 2012/13 to 2014/15 cycling). The APS does 60 have walking and cycling Total 51% 6.9 * questions for earlier years, however the questions 50 are different and therefore 1.9 the data are not directly Utility and recreational purposes 9% comparable with each 40 other. 4.4 30 Utility purposesonly 25% * 20 10 Recreational purposes only 17% 0.6 0 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Statistical Release - Local Area Walking and Cycling Statistics - Page 3 of 19 Walking prevalence in local authorities Highest walking prevalence Nine out of the top 10 authorities with the highest percentage of adults walking at least five times a week were London authorities. Overall prevalence in England was 51%. Chart 3: Percentage of adults walking at least 5 times a week: top 10 local authorities, England, 2014/15 (table CW0105) Southwark 68.1 Detailed statistics Detailed statistics on Tower Hamlets 68.1 walking, including at local Hammersmith and Fulham 68.0 authority level, can be found in table CW0105. Kensington and Chelsea 67.5 Camden 65.6 Islington 65.2 Isles of Scilly 64.6 Richmond upon Thames 64.3 Wandsworth 64.2 Westminster 62.5 England 50.6 0 20 40 60 % Largest increases Test Valley, Gosport and Coventry had the highest annual increases in the percentage of adults walking at least 5 times a week with increases of more than 14%.