Twice as many men as women cycle on Tyneside and white people are much more likely to walk regularly than ethnic minorities, a new study has found.
A major report by the charity Sustrains and local councils has revealed major disparities in different groups’ access to active forms of travel in Newcastle, Gateshead and North Tyneside. According to the Tyneside Walking and Cycling Index, 22% of local men cycle once a week, compared to just 10% of women.
And only 29% of people from ethnic minorities walk at least five days a week, a figure that has fallen by 10% since 2019 and is far below the 51% of white people who walk as often. The proportion of people from ethnic minorities in Tyneside who cycle has also fallen from 22% to 12% since 2019, while for white people it has fallen from 14% to 16%.
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The report adds that a third of people from ethnic minorities, 27% of women and a quarter of people with disabilities say they would like to cycle but don’t. Rosslyn Colderley, director of Sustrans for the North of England, called for safety improvements to unlock “the huge untapped potential to help more residents choose these healthier and more environmentally friendly modes of transport “.
She said: “The report shows us that if the streets in all the areas where people live had less traffic and were safer and greener, more residents of all groups would choose to walk, ride or cycle. bike. Residents strongly support 20-minute neighborhoods, where businesses and services are less than 20 minutes round trip from where they live, as well as low-traffic neighborhoods.
(Image: Chris Foster/Sustrans)
“They say fewer cars parked on sidewalks, safer crossings and more parks and green spaces would all help them walk and ride more. Residents welcome the development of active travel across the region and want to invest more public funds to make it more widely accessible to everyone.
The Sustrans report was compiled after a survey of 1,264 residents aged 16 or over in Tyneside. While 68% of people felt welcome and comfortable walking and using a wheelchair or mobility scooter in their neighborhood, only 57% believe the level of safety is good for children walking and only 35 % for children who ride bicycles.
Gateshead Council leader Martin Gannon said: ‘This important report shows us where we are now, as well as identifying the obstacles that still exist. We want to live in an area where active travel is more part of our daily commute. The results of this report give us further evidence to put our plans into practice.
“The report also shows us that there is still a lot to be done – 27% of women said they do not cycle but would like to; while 51% of whites walk at least five days a week compared to 29% of people from minority ethnic groups. We need to ensure that representation in travel choices is as inclusive as possible. »