Bristol is 'best city for cycling'

Bristol has picked up two cycling accolades in the space of two weeks.

The city was recently voted the best place for cycling in a poll by Cycling Plus magazine. Judges made their decision by assessing towns and cities across the UK against a number of criteria, including number of bicycle commuters, miles of cycle network and independent cycle shops, as well as other factors including bike thefts, road quality and pollution.

Meanwhile,  the city was voted the third most bike-friendly in England and Wales, according to a survey by a flat-sharing website. The survey said that 80% of people in Bristol live within cycling distance of work, compared to the UK average of 67%, and nearly a third of city landlords offer tenants cycle storage, compared with the UK average of 19%.

Both of these awards complement the initial results from Greater Bristol's Cycling City project, which show that cycling rates are rapidly increasing across the city.

Numbers of people cycling to work in Bristol rose from 6.5% in 2007 to 8.8% in 2009 and numbers of children cycling to primary and secondary schools have risen by 38%. Nearly 16% of people in Bristol ride a bike once a week, showing a marked increase from figures in 2007.

Results from Bristol City Council's Quality of Life report show to Ashley and Easton are the most cycle-friendly areas with around one in six people cycling five times a week or more, whilst over 17% of all residents in Southville, Ashley, Easton, Redland and Bishopston cycle to work.

These statistics support the aims of Greater Bristol's Cycling City project, which has helped to raise the profile of cycling in Bristol and South Gloucestershire through a programme of new and improved cycle paths and a series of 'softer measures' projects.