The Role of Traffic-Free Routes in Encouraging Cycling Among Excluded Groups: A Case Study of the National Cycle Network

A detailed analysis of data dealing with bicyclists on traffic-free routes in the U.K., studied from the perspectives of gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic conditions, and age, is presented. Patterns of use within and between user groups and categories are examined and compared to national data on bicycling. The research brings to light a wide range of disparities between user groups in relation to such issues as trip purpose, bicyclist experience, propensity for modal shift, group size, and the location and attributes of routes concerned. The implications of this work are discussed in terms of policy and pragmatic concerns. Options for further study of the habitual causal factors behind bicycling on traffic-free routes, and the implications for policy and planning at national and regional levels, are considered.