People in Cardiff want more segregated cycle lanes - even if it means less space for cars, according to the 2017 Bike Life Cardiff report.  

The report on infrastructure, travel habits, satisfaction and the impact of cycling is published by leading walking and cycling charity Sustrans Cymru, in partnership with Cardiff Council, every two years.  The information comes from local data, modelling and an independent ICM survey with a representative sample of residents aged 16+.

Key findings include:

·         79% support building more protected roadside cycle lanes, even when this could mean less space for other road traffic.

·         Bicycles take up to 11,008 cars off Cardiff’s roads each day, equal to a 33 mile tailback, the equivalent to seven times the length of Cardiff’s Newport Rd. 

·         Nearly three quarters [71%] of people think Cardiff would be a better place to live and work in if more people cycled.

·         Only a third [34%] feel that it is a safe city to cycle in.

·         79% of people would like to see more money spent on cycling.

Sustrans Cymru, has warned that Cardiff’s future prosperity could be threatened by increased congestion and welcomed Cardiff Council’s target for 50% of all journeys to be made by walking, cycling and public transport by 2021.

Commenting on the report’s findings, National Director of Sustrans Cymru, Steve Brooks, said:  “Cardiff is in danger of becoming a victim of its own success.  As Europe’s fastest growing capital, more people are choosing the city to live, work and enjoy their leisure time.  This success brings its own challenges and it is now vital that we manage congestion efficiently to ensure the city remains prosperous and a good place to live.

“Bike Life Cardiff shows that most people living in the city think cycling is a good thing and are far more supportive of bold and ambitious plans for cycling than decision-makers often think.  They want dedicated space for people on bicycles even when this means taking space away from cars.

“Major cities are now waking up to the fact that we need to design for people, not motor vehicles and that investing in cycling and walking is key to keeping cities moving, and improving health and economic vitality.”

Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas, said:  “Cardiff’s growth brings with it an historic opportunity to capitalise on our potential and become a truly great world capital, where the benefits of growth are felt by all our citizens, our region and our nation, but it also brings challenges.

“Despite the 12 million trips made by bike in Cardiff this year, our transport system is still dominated by private car journeys – if our city’s growth is to be sustainable, we need to change the way we get around.  We are determined to prioritise sustainable modes of transport and this report clearly demonstrates that the majority of Cardiff residents are supportive of this approach.” 

Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, Cllr Caro Wild, added:  “Getting our transport system right is one of this Administration’s top priorities.  As well as reducing congestion, more people riding bikes means lower carbon emissions, better air quality, improved residents’ health and a boost for the city’s economy – active travel simply makes sense.

“Our recently published draft Cycling Strategy has already set out a raft of measures to help encourage the 26% of people who would like to start riding a bike to take that first ride – these plans include the phased implementation of new, fully segregated cycle superhighways, a potential on-street cycle hire scheme, and an upgrade of citywide routes as identified in our Integrated Network Map.

“We want to make Cardiff a world class cycling city – there is a lot to do to make that happen and we know we can’t do it all alone, that’s why we will encourage and welcome the active support of our partners as we work to make Cardiff a truly world class cycling city.”