It’s a snapshot of activity

BIKE LIFE is the walking and cycling index produced by charity Sustrans. The latest report shows that:

• Around 66% of Edinburgh residents walk at least five days a week.

• Around a quarter of those living in Edinburgh cycle at least once a week.

• Around 70.7 million journeys of up to three miles are still made by car.

• 78% of those who responded to the survey said they would walk if they had shops or other services close to home.

About a quarter of people living in the capital do not cycle, but would like to, and most said that more segregated cycle lanes would help them to use a bike.

They also said that secure bike storage would help. The council has installed

106 secure cycle parking hangars in the last two years, with a total of 180 hangars planned as an initial phase.

The number of people on the waiting list is growing and there is no more agreed funding . When the council last discussed more storage units last year a report from the Director of Place Paul Lawrence said: “Cyclehoop Ltd were awarded the contract to supply, install, manage and maintain

180 units at a contract value of £576,000. The cost of providing the additional units would be £351,000 for each of the next two financial years.”

Daisy Narayanan, Head of Placemaking and Mobility at the council, said: “As ever, this report provides a fascinating snapshot of people’s walking, wheeling, and cycling habits – and the immense benefits active travel can bring, not only to our own health but the environment, the economy and the quality of life here.

“Transport accounts for just under a third of Edinburgh’s emissions and it’s clear that there’s an urgent need to aid and encourage more sustainable ways of travelling if we’re to meet our 2030 net zero target. Responses to the Walking and Cycling Index provide an excellent guide for the kind of changes we need to make – people are telling us what we need to do to help them to travel by foot, wheel or bike, particularly for shorter journeys. Thankfully, there’s already a great deal of work underway to support this. Our strategy for 20-minute neighbourhoods will mean people across Edinburgh can live well locally, meeting most of their daily needs in their own community. The approach is designed to improve access to services where it is most convenient and helps to support local businesses, creating thriving, vibrant towns and local centres.”