Significant increases in regular walking in England but frequent cycling levels static - DfT

More people are walking more often across the whole country

More people are walking more often across the whole country

The DfT has reported "significant increases in walking in England" as measured by the amount of people regularly walking at least ten minutes at least once a week.

In England as a whole 47% of people walked at least five times a week, up from 44% for England the year before. There were increases of 12% or more in the percentage of people walking five times a week in ten local authorities in the year to 2013/14, led by Leeds, Corby, Guildford, Blackpool, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Birmingham and Leicester. 

In England as a whole regular cycling remained static, the statistical release suggests, with the number of people cycling at least once a month remaining at 15% for each of the years from 2010/11 to 2013/14. However, thre were "significant increases" in people cycling once a month in 35 local authorities in England between 2012/13 and 2013/14. There were also increases for the whole of the South West and East Midlands regions.

There have only been consistent increases in the numbers cycling at least once a month large enough to provide confidence that the sample reflects change in the whole population in three local authorities: South Cambridgeshire, Cheltenham and Fareham.