The Bike to Work Scheme can help make cycling to and from campus more affordable, while reducing car journeys, emissions and congestion.
Whether you’re a regular cyclist or thinking about giving it a go, it’s a practical way to make active travel part of your working week.
Rethinking the Journey to College. Could we be getting on our bikes?
Sustran's Walking and Cycling Index is the UK’s largest assessment of how people travel by foot, wheelchair, bike and other forms of active travel. Published by Sustrans, it brings together survey data from residents across participating UK towns and cities to understand how often people walk, wheel and cycle, why they choose different ways of travelling, what prevents them from doing more, and what changes would help.
1. Walking and wheeling are already more common than driving
52% of residents walk or wheel at least five days a week, compared with 45% who drive at least five days a week. Cycling is much less frequent, at 5% cycling five or more days a week.
2. Almost half of people want to walk or wheel more
49% of residents would like to walk or wheel more, while 43% would like to cycle more. At the same time, 23% want to drive less.
3. 42% say they use a car because they feel they have no choice
42% of residents agree that they often use a car because no other transport options are available. That is a useful reminder that active-travel strategies aren't simply about encouraging people to make better choices; the availability, safety and practicality of alternatives matter enormously.
4. There is a huge untapped cycling audience
Only 14% cycle at least once a week, but 26% say they don't currently cycle and would like to. Among women, that rises to 26%, and 28% of disabled residents say they don't cycle but would like to. .
5. Safety is the elephant in the room
Only 45% of residents think it is safe to cycle in their local area, compared with 70% who think it is safe to walk or wheel. The figure falls further when people are asked about children: just 33% think it is safe for children to cycle locally.
6. Young people are actually among the most frequent walkers
57% of 16–25-year-olds walk or wheel at least five days a week, compared with 47% of people aged 66+. Cycling participation among 16–25-year-olds is 14%, compared with 9% among people aged 66+.
7. Cycling to education is already happening at scale
Across the UK Index areas, residents made an estimated 35.2 million cycling trips to school, college or university by adults in 2025 around 8% of all cycling trips. Cycling to work accounted for another 30% of cycling trips.
8. People aren't just asking for cycle lanes ; they want the whole system
67% say more traffic-free cycle paths would help them cycle more, 63% want physically separated cycle paths alongside roads, and 66% say better links between cycling and public transport would help. 54% would benefit from secure cycle parking at or near home.
9. Small things about the walking environment matter
80% say nicer places to stop and rest, including benches, trees and shelters, would help them walk or wheel more. 75% identify better pavement accessibility as something that would help, while 70% say fewer cars parked on pavements would help.
10. Active travel is already producing enormous benefits
The report estimates that walking, wheeling and cycling across the UK Index areas prevent 28,037 serious long-term health conditions each year, save the NHS £346.7 million, save 500,000 tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions and take up to 2.9 million cars off the roads every day.
Re-Cycling matters
The data shows that 43% of people would like to cycle more. Read the full report here