Background
In 2018, the Mayor of London initiated a transport strategy aimed at enhancing sustainability and public health through increased cycling. As the City and the strategy continues to progress, there's a need to evaluate its effectiveness in boosting cycling activities and the associated infrastructure improvements. Thoughtworks has been brought on to assess the progress made and identify areas for potential improvements. The central business problem revolves around determining how successful the strategy has been in increasing cycling uptake among Londoners and enhancing the cycling infrastructure. This evaluation is crucial for measuring current success and shaping future policy directions to further promote cycling as a key component of urban mobility in London.
The following business questions will be explored through the analysis:
- How can the uptake of cycling in London be increased?
- What are the main factors that determine whether people choose to cycle?
- What interventions and changes to the transport network have had the most impact on cycling engagement?
Other questions that will be considered are:
- What are the demographics of the cyclists in London?
- Are there any underrepresented groups that can be engaged with to try and increase the uptake of cycling as a mode of transport?
Addressing these questions requires analysing trends in cycling data, assessing the effectiveness of existing infrastructure, and identifying patterns in demographic engagement. Using the Mayor's Transport Strategy 2018 as a guide, and comparing it with data from New York (NYC Open Data) and Sydney (Transport for NSW statistics), provides a foundation for understanding cycling engagement. Research such as Active Travel Audits by the Transport Research Laboratory or reports by the Urban Transport Group also offer insights into the role of social norms and infrastructural development in cycling uptake.