Cycling more than doubles as London commuters brave winter conditions
London commuters are taking to their bikes in an effort to tackle transport challenges resulting from train strikes, with VivaCity, the transport technology scaleup, revealing that there were more than double the number of cyclists on Pancras Road, King’s Cross during this period.
Gathered anonymously, and in real time, the number of cyclists increased by 102% compared to the three previous ‘non strike’ days, with 4,970 cyclists making up *18% of all traffic.
The data highlights that commuters are prepared to battle the winter conditions to get back into the office.
While cyclists make up a larger share of road users during train strike days, there was also a 20% increase in cars – proving that not all commuters are ready to give up the comfort of their own car or Uber.
Mark Nicholson, CEO and co-founder at VivaCity, said: “With train strikes having a huge impact on travel across the capital, it’s interesting to see how many Londoners have opted to cycle to work during the weeks affected by train strikes. It’s promising to see active travel being prioritised, our mission is to work with local authorities to ensure that London’s roads are well equipped for, and welcome these changes in the long term.”
VivaCity works with local authorities and governments across the capital and beyond, and recently partnered with its 25th London Borough in a bid to make cities smarter, safer and more sustainable. The company’s artificial intelligence sensors gather accurate, detailed and anonymous data 24/7 on transport modes, traffic flow and travel patterns, supporting strategic decisions to help optimise the transport network and improve urban infrastructure.
VivaCity shares insight into how AI and anonymous data capture can positively impact active travel infrastructure development, demonstrating the ways in which our future journeys can evolve.
September 2022 data released by the Department for Transport also illustrated that, compared to pre-pandemic trends, cycling is the greatest advancer of all transport forms in the UK, versus some large declines in car and bus usage.
