The publication of a report claiming to be “the biggest assessment of walking, wheeling and cycling in the UK” has laid bare the impact of active travel, with estimates included about huge economic and health benefits.
Active travel charity Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, formerly named Sustrans, today published its Walking and Cycling Index for 2025, the report an in-depth look at walking, wheeling and cycling across 22 cities and regions in the UK and Ireland.
The charity believes it provides high-quality evidence which “captures public attitudes towards active travel” and can help inform policymakers’ investment decisions.
The report is bullish that “everyone gains when more people cycle” and highlights modelling of the costs and benefits of cycling journeys which estimates the total annual economic benefit from all trips cycled in UK Index areas is £1.81bn.
Index areas [full map below] include major regions, such as Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and North East Combined Authority, but with Leicester the sole Midlands representation and nothing included from London and the South East, the nationwide figures would almost certainly be higher.
The Walk Wheel Cycle Trust comes to its total annual economic benefit figure by using a ‘Societal Gain model’, which includes travel time, vehicle operating costs, health benefits, air quality and taxation.
“For these journeys, between £1.25 and £1.84 is saved for each mile cycled instead of driven,” the report states. “Over a year this adds up to £1.11 billion in economic benefit for residents and society from 688.9 million miles cycled by those that could have used a car.”
Likewise, the picture of cycling’s impact on the NHS is positive too, the index suggesting that cycling in the included areas saves the NHS £72.7m per year, the equivalent cost of 1.6m GP appointments.
The report also estimates that 5,736 long-term health conditions are avoided each year thanks to cycling, and 545 early deaths are prevented annually.
Walk Wheel Cycle Trust also reports cycling instead of driving saved 190,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the carbon footprint of 170,000 people taking flights from Heathrow to New York.
The charity also highlighted “considerable appetite” to start cycling from residents who do not currently, around 26 per cent putting themselves in this category.
When looking at support factors which could increase the number of people cycling, 54 per cent highlighted access to secure cycle parking at or near home as important.
More than three-quarters raised improved and increased off-road active travel routes as significant too — while 58 per cent backed building more cycle paths physically separated from traffic and pedestrians, even if this means less room for other traffic.
Cycling was viewed as less safe than other forms of transport, 45 per cent of residents stating they feel it is safe to cycle in their local area, compared to 80 per cent and 74 per cent in relation to driving and public transport respectively.
More than half (54 per cent) expressed support for shifting investment from road-building schemes to fund walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport.
“Walking, wheeling, and cycling are among the best, and cheapest, ways we can improve our health, our wellbeing, and the world around us. They are everyday actions with a big impact,” Louisa Dale and Fiona MacLeod, Walk Wheel Cycle Trust’s two directors said in a joint statement.
“It’s exciting to welcome this report as the newly named Walk Wheel Cycle Trust. More than ever, the report highlights a need for long-term funding and stronger policies so that together we can build an inclusive and integrated transport system, one that connects safely to new developments and existing communities.
“The 2025 Walking and Cycling Index shows that if we make active travel easy, safe and accessible, everyone benefits, with improvements to our health, our wellbeing and our world.”
The full report is available here.