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The Walking and Cycling Index

Discover the biggest-ever survey of walking, wheeling and cycling across 22 cities and regions in the UK and Ireland.

The Walking and Cycling Index supports leaders of cities and towns to understand and improve walking, wheeling and cycling across the UK and Ireland.

It provides high-quality evidence to help bring our neighbourhoods back to life and ensure walking and cycling are attractive and accessible for everyone.

The Walking and Cycling Index (formerly Bike Life) is the largest survey of walking, wheeling and cycling ever carried out.

It captures public attitudes to active travel in 22 cities and regions across the UK and Ireland, and tracks how well each area is making walking, wheeling and cycling practical, everyday choices.

Since 2015, the Index has helped shape policy, support investment decisions and give cities the evidence they need to set more ambitious plans for active travel.

  • Download the UK aggregated report

    The Walking and Cycling Index is the clearest picture of walking, wheeling and cycling across the country.

    The report will be available to download from 17 March 2026.

  • Three children cycling on a traffic-free path

    Children's Walking and Cycling Index

    We've created the first ever Children’s Walking and Cycling Index, designed to understand the behaviours, barriers and attitudes affecting how children walk, wheel and cycle in the UK.

    Children's Walking and Cycling Index

Explore the 22 Walking and Cycling Index reports across the UK and Ireland

Click on the grey shape of your city or region to find out more about the study in that area and to download the report.

You can also find a full list of the areas we worked with below the map.

Select a city or region to view the report

On the Walking and Cycling Index cities

Up to 2.3 million

cars are taken off the road every day by walking and cycling

420,000 tonnes

of greenhouse gas emissions saved every year by walking and cycling

36%

of people often use a car as they feel they have no choice

56%

of people support shifting investment from road building to funding options for walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport

Amina Shaikh

I came to Leicester from Pakistan in 2023 to do a PhD in Economics. Back home, I always drove, but here I couldn’t manage the cost and hassle of a car. I had stomach and blood pressure issues when I arrived, but it was hard to get a doctor’s appointment.

I started walking the 45 minutes to university every day and by the time I saw a doctor, my health issues had gone. I’d thought medication was just part of ageing, but this experience changed my mindset. Walking improved my health, and I realised age really is just a number.

A young female cycles along a traffic-free path with a tower block in the background

Take a look at our previous UK-wide Walking and Cycling Index and Bike Life reports

Find out more about Walk Wheel Cycle Trust and our work

  • A man in a wheelchair smiling and laughing alongside a woman walking on the Festival Way in Bristol

    How we're making our language more inclusive

    Walk Wheel Cycle Trust wants to make walking and cycling accessible and desirable for everyone. To do this they need to understand the impact of how we communicate and the language we use. And this is why they'll be using the term ‘wheeling’ across their work.
    How we're making our language more inclusive
  • Man in wheelchair on shared use path

    Walking for everyone: A guide to making walking and wheeling accessible, inclusive and desirable

    We've teamed up with Living Streets and ARUP to create a guide to support people in local government, the transport sector and spatial planning, make walking and wheeling for everyone.
    Walking for everyone
  • Lady smiling as she rides her trike through an archway

    Cycling for everyone

    We've teamed up with Arup to create a guide to support people in local government and the transport sector to make cycling a more inclusive activity for everyone.
    Inclusive cycling in cities and towns