Monitoring

Collecting and sharing cycling data

Cycling Scotland collects, analyses and shares cycling data nationally and locally.

The data:

  • Provides an objective evidence base on cycling levels and mode share in Scotland.
  • Supports research, policy and decision making at all levels by providing clear data to make evidence-based choices.
  • Communicates and celebrates progress being made to help influence further positive change.

Collecting data | Sharing data

How do we know if change is happening?

As an organisation we currently assess progress across the sector through the following measures:

  • The number of people cycling (percentage of population who ever cycle, mode share, cycle counts, percentage of people cycling to work)
  • The accessibility of cycling (access to bikes, including adaptive cycles, cycle training, including Bikeability Scotland and availability of safe and secure storage)
  • The level and range of funding for cycling (national and local)
  • Casualty rate per 100 million km for people killed or seriously injured while cycling
  • Percentage of different population groups who ever cycle

We commissioned a long-term research study, funded by Transport Scotland from 2017 to 2023, to understand the perceptions of and barriers to cycling for people living in Scotland.

Who do we work with?

We connect and collaborate with local authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) and active travel delivery partners and work with them in a variety of ways including as a member of a number of national monitoring groups including:

  • Cycling Delivery Forum - Monitoring sub-group- A forum to discuss current and new monitoring techniques and results for everyday cycling. We currently chair this forum. The membership is open to all local authorities and Regional Transport Partnerships in Scotland, Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, Transport Scotland, and other interested public and third sector organisations.
  • Data, Monitoring and Evaluation Group – A group that meets to discuss and share current data collection, monitoring, and evaluation activities. It is comprised of active travel delivery partners and Transport Scotland.
  • Public Health and Sustainable Transport Partnership - Data and Evidence Group – The partnership bring together evidence of the benefits and harms of transport and related spatial and environmental policy. The Data and Evidence Group identify, analyse, and summarise the best available data and evidence to inform, advise and support the main Transport group’s activities. The membership includes Public Health Scotland, Transport Scotland, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), active travel delivery partners and representatives from research organisations including the Universities of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier, and Glasgow.

We also manage the Cycling Open Data portal which provides the most comprehensive collection of cycling data of its kind in Scotland. It is a free to access resource open to everyone from transport planners to community groups.

Knowledge and data