Cycling out of deprivation: what Strava Metro data reveal about the relationship between cycling and deprivation in Glasgow

Abstract

The Scottish Government has a bold vision for cycling: that 10% of everyday journeys
will be made by bicycle by 2020. Despite policy and spending commitment from all
levels of government, the vision is extremely unlikely to be achieved. This raises
some key questions: who is not cycling and why? Residents of the most deprived
areas of Glasgow have been found to be less likely to commute by bicycle, yet they
might have the greatest need to experience the health, economic and connectivity
benefits that cycling can bring. This study therefore sets out to explore the relationship
between the number of bicycle journeys originating in an area of Glasgow and the
level of deprivation of that area. It does so using Strava Metro and Scottish Index Of
Multiple Deprivation data, allowing for detailed temporal and spatial analysis. It finds
that there does appear to be a relationship between cycling and deprivation in the
Glasgow City Council area: the number of bicycle journeys increases, as the level of
overall deprivation decreases. This positive association is present for all journeys over
the course of 2016, and it is especially significant for morning commute journeys.
Several actions are identified to increase levels of cycling among residents of deprived
areas, such as focusing on cycling for leisure, given the low of levels of commuting by
bicycle, as well as conducting qualitative research to clarify the barriers to cycling and
the ways to overcome them.