Walking and Cycling in Northern Ireland 2022/2023
Key points
Active Travel
- In 2022/23 around 9 in 10 (88%) respondents said they considered ‘walking’ to be active travel, while around 4 in 5 (79%) said the same for ‘cycling’.
Walking in Northern Ireland
Just under two thirds (65%) were satisfied with walking facilities in their area, down from 74% in 2020/21.
64% of respondents said that they would be likely to walk short journeys (up to 3km / 2 miles).
Cycling in Northern Ireland
Over half (52%) of respondents are satisfied with cycling facilities in their area, up from 45% in 2021/22.
19% of respondents said they would be likely to cycle short journeys (up to 5km / 3 miles)
Introduction
At the centre of all the Department for Infrastructure’s policies for the decarbonisation of transport is the Hierarchy for Reducing the Carbon Impact of Transport. This hierarchy highlights three overarching policy areas - Reduce Trips, Shifting Mode and Switching Fuels. At the top of the hierarchy, Reduce trips focuses on policies that will assist in reducing the need length and frequency of private car journeys undertaken; For Shift Mode this heading supports and encourages the modal shift away from private cars to more attractive sustainable modes such as active travel and public transport; and Switching Fuels focuses on switching to zero or low carbon fuels.
The hierarchy acknowledges that an efficient decarbonised transport network will require more than a transition to zero-emission and low-emission vehicles (ZEV / LEVs). While ZEVs and LEVs are part of the solution, managing transport demand and embedding behaviour change is also of vital importance. DfI invests in developing better walking and cycling infrastructure and provides significant levels of funding to support and improve public transport services for passengers through a service agreement with Translink and provides grants to fund a range of passenger transport services aimed at reducing rural and social isolation across Northern Ireland. To support the uptake of ULEVs, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) provides a range of UK-wide e-car related grants including grants towards the purchase of plug-in cars and vans and grants for home, workplace and residential charge points.
To allow people and goods to move easily from door to door the Department will invest in low-carbon, accessible, efficient and sustainable transport services and infrastructure that will enable more people to walk, cycle and use public transport. Encouraging more sustainable and efficient ways of travelling as preferred choices could also contribute to reduced traffic congestion particularly in the peaks, improved air quality and encourage healthier, more environmentally sustainable lifestyles which would bring many other economic benefits.
Uses of the data
This publication presents information from the 2022/23 Continuous Household Survey (CHS) on modes of transport considered to be ‘active travel’, satisfaction with walking and cycling facilities in their area and likelihood to walk or cycle short journeys.
The information will be used to assist the Department in focusing its policies on addressing the key issues that prevent people from taking up active and sustainable travel and to encourage more people to use active and sustainable methods of travel, where possible.
Please note that further analysis and Section 75 breakdowns may be available on request from ASRB.
Methodology changes due to COVID-19
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, data collection for the 2020/21 survey moved from face-to-face interviewing to telephone mode with a reduction in the number of questions. Telephone interviewing has remained in place for the 2021/22 survey, therefore caution should be used when interpreting trend data due to methodology and content changes during the 2020/21 survey period.
In 2020/21, the output from the survey, in terms of the range and depth of topics covered, was reduced from that of previous years, with the subsequent capacity for detailed analysis constrained. In 2021/22, the sample size for the CHS returned to normal and while the survey content was slightly impacted by the move to telephone interviewing, a larger number of questions were asked.
More information is available on the NISRA website.
Part 1: Active travel
1.1 Modes of transport considered to be ‘active travel’
A question asking respondents “what modes of transport you would consider to be ‘active travel’?” was included within the 2022/23 Continuous Household Survey.
Almost 9 out of 10 (88%) respondents said they considered ‘walking’ to be active travel, while just under 4 in 5 (79%) said the same for ‘cycling’.
Respondents also said they consider bus (24%), car/van (28%), and train (22%) to be active travel.
Figure 1: What modes of transport do you consider to be ‘active travel’? (%)
Part 2: Walking and Cycling to work in Northern Ireland
Question modules on walking and cycling to work been included biennially in the CHS since 2014/15, however trend and comparison data is limited due to methodology and content changes during the 2020/21 survey period.
This section presents data from the 2022/23 Continuous Household Survey (CHS) in relation to the proportion of respondents who walk or cycle to and/or from work. This information will be used to assist the Department in encouraging more people to incorporate active travel into their everyday routines.
2.1 Walking to work in Northern Ireland
Respondents were asked if they normally walk to or from work. Of the respondents who provided information, over 1 in 10 (14%) said they work from home and 2% said they were not currently in employment.
Figure 2: Do you normally walk to and/or from work? (%)
Of the remaining sample who travel to work, 9% said they normally walk to and from work, 1% said they normally walk either to or from work. Three quarters (75%) of respondents do not walk to or from work.
Figure 3: Do you normally walk to and/or from work?* (by respondent group) (%)
*Figures are based on those respondents who stated they traveled to and/or from work.
Looking at those who walk to and/or from work, by respondent group, a higher proportion of those in urban areas (15%) do so than those in rural areas (7%). A similar proportion of male (12%) and female (12%) respondents said they walk to and/or from work.
Due to small sample size, breakdowns by age, LGD and Deprivation quintile are not available.
2.2 Cycling to work in Northern Ireland
Figure 4: Do you normally cycle to and/or from work? (%)
Respondents were asked if they normally cycle to or from work. Of the respondents who provided information, a small proportion (1%) said they work from home.
Of the respondents who said they travel to work, 2% said they normally cycle to and from work. The majority (97%) said they do not cycle to or from work.
Figure 5: Do you normally cycle to and/or from work?* (by respondent group) (%)
*Figures are based on those respondents who stated they traveled to and/or from work.
Looking at those who cycle to or from work by respondent group, a higher proportion of those in urban areas (3%) said they cycle to or from work than those in rural areas (1%).
Male respondents (4%) were more likely than female respondents (0%) to cycle to or from work.
Due to small sample size, breakdowns by age, LGD and Deprivation quintile are not available.
Part 3: Walking
3.1 Satisfaction with Walking Infrastructure
Respondents were asked about their satisfaction with walking facilities in their area since 2017/2018 and the trend results are displayed in Figure 6 below. However caution should be used when interpreting trend data due to methodology and content changes during the 2020/21 survey period.
Figure 6: Are you satisfied with the current provision for walking and walkers in your area? (%)*
*due to methodology changes figures from 2020/21 are not directly comparable with previous years.
Respondents were asked to indicate whether or not they are satisfied with the current situation for walking and walkers in their local area taking consideration of condition of footpaths, pedestrian crossings, and street lighting etc.
In 202/23, 65% of respondents said that they were satisfied with walking conditions in their area, down from 74% in 2020/21 and around the same as 2017/18 (64%).
Figure 7: Are you satisfied with the current provision for walking and walkers in your area? (by respondent group) (%)
A higher proportion of those aged 16-24 (74%) were satisfied with walking in their area, compared with 61% of those aged 50 to 64, and 65% of those aged 65 and over.
Male respondents (66%) were more likely to be satisfied with walking in their area than female respondents (64%).
Respondents living in urban areas (72%) were more likely than those living in rural areas (54%) to be satisfied with walking in their area.
Figure 8: Are you satisfied with the current provision for walking and walkers in your area? (by local government district) (%)*
Over 7 in 10 respondents in Mid Ulster (78%) council area were satisfied with walking in their area, which is the highest of all the LGD’s.
The council areas with the lowest proportion of respondents satisfied with walking in their area were Newry, Mourne, and Down (55%).
Figure 9: Are you satisfied with the current provision for walking and walkers in your area? (by Deprivation quintile) (%)
There was no real difference in satisfaction with walking facilities in their local area for those living in the most deprived (68%) and the least deprived areas (67%).
3.2 Likelihood to Walk
Figure 10: Are you likely to walk short journeys (up to 3km / 2 miles)? (%)*
*due to methodology changes figures from 2020/21 are not directly comparable with previous years.
When asked about their likelihood to walk short journeys, over 6 in 10 respondents (64%) said they were likely to walk short journeys (up to 2 miles/3 km), down from 69% in 2020/21 but the longer term trend is up from 54% in 17/18.
Figure 11: Are you likely to walk short journeys (up to 3km / 2 miles)? (by respondent group) (%)
Looking at the likelihood to walk short journeys by respondent group, the oldest age group (65 and over) were the least likely to walk short journeys (44%) compared to all other age groups.
Two-thirds (65%) of male respondents said they would be likely to walk short journeys, compared with just under two-thirds (62%) of female respondents.
Respondents living in urban areas (68%) are more likely to walk short journeys than those in rural areas (57%).
Figure 12: Are you likely to walk short journeys (up to 3km / 2 miles)? (by local government district) (%)*
By council area, 7 in 10 (70%) respondents in North Down and Ards Council said they were likely to walk short journeys compared with less than half (45%) of respondents in Mid Ulster.
Figure 13: Are you likely to walk short journeys (up to 3km / 2 miles)? (by Deprivation quintile) (%)
Those living in the least deprived areas (76%) were more likely to walk short distances than those living in the most deprived areas (62%).
Part 4: Cycling
4.1 Satisfaction with Cycling Infrastructure
Respondents have been asked about their satisfaction with cycling facilities in their area since 2017/2018 and the trend results are displayed in Figure 14 below. However caution should be used when interpreting trend data due to methodology and content changes during the 2020/21 survey period.
Figure 14: Are you satisfied with the current provision for cycling and cyclists in your area? (%)*
*due to methodology changes figures from 2020/21 are not directly comparable with previous years.
Respondents were asked to indicate whether or not they are satisfied with the current situation for cycling and cyclists in their local area taking consideration of condition of footpaths, pedestrian crossings, and street lighting etc.
In 2022/23, 52% of respondents said that they were satisfied with cycling conditions in their area, up from 45% in 2021/22 and down from 2017/18 (55%).
Figure 15: Are you satisfied with the current provision for cycling and cyclists in your area? (by respondent group) (%)
A higher proportion of those aged 25-34 (57%) were satisfied with cycling provisions in their area, compared with 50% of those aged 50 to 64, and 52% of those aged 65 and over.
A similar proportion of male respondents (53%) were satisfied with cycling in their area as female respondents (52%).
Respondents living in urban areas (56%) were more likely than those living in rural areas (48%) to be satisfied with cycling in their area.
Figure 16: Are you satisfied with the current provision for cycling and cyclists in your area? (by local government district) (%)*
Just under 7 in 10 (69%) respondents in Mid Ulster council area were satisfied with cycling in their area, which is the highest of all the LGD’s.
The council areas with the lowest proportion of respondents satisfied with cycling in their area was Newry, Mourne, and Down (41%).
Figure 17: Are you satisfied with the current provision for cycling and cyclists in your area? (by Deprivation quintile) (%)
Less than half (47%) of respondents in the least deprived area were satisfied with the cycling facilities in their local area compared to 59% of those respondents in the most deprived area.
4.2 Likelihood to Cycle
Figure 18: Are you likely to cycle short journeys (up to 5km / 3 miles)? (%)*
*due to methodology changes figures from 2020/21 are not directly comparable with previous years.
When asked about their likelihood to cycle short journeys, less than 2 in 10 respondents (19%) said they were likely to cycle short journeys (up to 5km / 3 miles), down from 25% in 2020/21 but the longer term trend is up from 17% in 17/18.
Figure 19: Are you likely to cycle short journeys (up to 5km / 3 miles)? (by respondent group) (%)
Looking at the likelihood to cycle short journeys by respondent group, the oldest age group (65 and over) were the least likely to cycle short journeys (7%) compared to all other age groups.
Male respondents (28%) said they would be likely to cycle short journeys, compared with just under over 1 in 10 (12%) female respondents.
A similar number of respondents are likely to cycle short journeys in urban areas (19%) with those in rural areas (20%).
Figure 20: Are you likely to cycle short journeys (up to 5km / 3 miles)? (by local government district) (%)*
By council area, 28% of respondents in Lisburn and Castlereagh council area said they were likely to cycle short journeys compared with 12% of respondents in Mid Ulster.
Figure 21: Are you likely to cycle short journeys (up to 5km / 3 miles)? (by Deprivation quintile) (%)
Less than a quarter (24%) of respondents in the least deprived area were satisfied with the cycling facilities in their local area compared to less than one-fifth (18%) of respondents in the most deprived area.
Contact information
Appendices
Appendix A: Technical Notes
The Northern Ireland Continuous Household Survey
Data Collection
The information presented in this publication derives from the Northern Ireland Continuous Household Survey (CHS), a Northern Ireland wide household survey administered by Central Survey Unit (CSU), Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).
It is based on a sample of the general population resident in private households and has been running since 1983. The survey is designed to provide a regular source of information on a wide range of social and economic issues relevant to Northern Ireland. The Active and Sustainable Travel in Northern Ireland questions which were commissioned by DfI are included in Appendix C of this report.
Note: Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, NISRA suspended all face to face household interviews in March 2020. In the reporting periods, April 2020 - March 2021 and April 2021 - March 2022, all interviews carried out on the Continuous Household Survey (CHS) were conducted by telephone. For this reporting year, April 2022 - March 2023, face to face interviewing was reinstated alongside telephone interviewing in July 2022, thus making the survey dual-modality. There are a number of factors. which users should take into consideration when interpreting the 2022-23 results and care should be taken when comparing these to previously published findings from the survey and more information is available on the NISRA website.
Data Quality
Data were collected by CSU and various validation checks were carried out as part of the processing. CSU is the leading social survey research organisation in Northern Ireland and is one of the main business areas of NISRA, an Agency within the Department of Finance. CSU has a long track record and a wealth of experience in the design, management and analysis of behavioural and attitude surveys in the context of a wide range of social policy issues. CSU procedures are consistent with the Code of Practice for Statistics.
The CHS sample was assessed and considered to be a representative sample of the Northern Ireland population at household level.
Whilst data quality is considered to be very good, note that all survey estimates are subject to a degree of error and this must be taken account of when considering results. This error will be reasonably small for the majority of Northern Ireland level results but care should be taken when looking at results based on smaller breakdowns.
Respondents
The Continuous Household Survey is a Northern Ireland wide household survey administered by Central Survey Unit, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. The sample for this survey consists of a systematic random sample of 9,000 addresses selected from the NISRA address register. The findings reported for 2022/23 are based on 2,527 respondents, aged 16 and over.
The number of respondents who answered each question, i.e. the base number, is stated in the commentary and/or the associated chart. The base number is the unweighted count.
Some questions were only asked if the respondent had answered ‘yes’ to a previous question. The base number may also vary between questions due to some respondents not answering certain questions.
Weighting
Analysis of the Walking and Cycling in Northern Ireland module of the CHS has been weighted for non-response.
A chi square goodness-of-fit test showed that the CHS sample was not representative of the population by age and sex when compared with the 2021 Mid Year Population Estimates for Northern Ireland NISRA 29 November 2022. As a result, separate weights were produced for age and sex, and combinations of these variables.
Non-response weighting sometimes increases standard errors, although the impact tends to be fairly small, i.e. the adjustment may be less or greater than 1, but will generally be reasonably close to 1. In the case of the walking, cycling and public transport modules of the CHS, the values of the adjustment for all three weighting systems are so close to one, it is not necessary to take account of this in the calculation of standard error and confidence intervals.
While weighting for non-response (also called post-stratification) should reduce bias, it must be acknowledged that it will not eliminate bias. The reasons individuals choose to take part in surveys are complex and depend on lots of factors specific to the individual. As a result, the non-response biases in surveys are likely to be complex. Post-stratification works on the assumption that, by aligning the survey to the population along a small number of dimensions such as age, gender and MDM, many of these complex biases will reduce. However, it would be misleading to suggest that they will be eliminated.
Confidence Intervals
No sample is likely to reflect precisely the characteristics of the population it is drawn from because of both sampling and non-sampling errors. An estimate of the amount of error due to the sampling process can be calculated. For a simple random sample design, in which every member of the sampled population has an equal and independent chance of inclusion in the sample, the sampling error of any percentage, p, can be calculated by the formula: s.e. (p) = √(p*(100 – p)/n where n is the number of respondents on which the percentage is based. The sample for the Continuous Household Survey is drawn as a random sample, and thus this formula can be used to calculate the sampling error of any percentage estimate from the survey.
Multiple Response Questions
Multiple response questions are those for which respondents can give
more than one response if they wish. In such questions, when individual
percentages are summed they may add to more than 100%.
Rounding Conventions
Percentages have been rounded to whole numbers and as a consequence some
percentages may not sum to 100. 0% may reflect rounding down of values
under 0.5.
Significant Difference
Any statements in this report regarding differences between groups such
as males and females, different age groups, dependant status, etc., are
statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. This means that
we can be 95% confident that the differences between groups are actual
differences and have not just arisen by chance. Both the base numbers
and the sizes of the percentages have an effect on statistical
significance.
Therefore on occasion, a difference between two groups may be statistically significant while the same difference in percentage points between two other groups may not be statistically significant. The reason for this is because the larger the base numbers or the closer the percentages are to 0 or 100, the smaller the standard errors. This leads to increased precision of the estimates which increases the likelihood that the difference between the proportions is actually significant and did not just arise by chance.
Respondent Groups
The following respondent groups were considered:
Age group
The age of the respondent is grouped into the following age bands:
16-24, 25-34, 35-49, 50,-64, 65 and over.
Sex
Sex of respondent is defined as whether the respondent is male or
female.
Urban and rural areas
Urban and rural areas have been classified using the statistical
classification of settlements defined by the Inter-Departmental
Urban-Rural Definition Group.
- Bands A to E are classified as Urban. This includes Belfast
Metropolitan Urban Area (Band A), Derry Urban Area (Band B) and large,
medium and small towns (Bands C-E) with populations greater than or
equal to 5,000 people.
- Bands F to H are classified as rural. This includes intermediate settlements (Band F), villages (Band G) and small villages, hamlets and open countryside (Band H) with populations of less than 5,000 people and including open countryside.
Local Government District
Local Government Districts include the 11 district council areas:
Antrim and Newtownabbey
Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon
Belfast
Causeway Coast and Glens
Derry and Strabane
Fermanagh and Omagh
Lisburn and Castlereagh
Mid and East Antrim
Mid Ulster
Newry, Mourne and Down
North Down and Ards
Multiple Deprivation Measure
The measures, known as NIMDM 2017, were informed through public consultation and Steering Group agreement, and provide a mechanism for ranking the 890 Super Output areas (SOAs) in Northern Ireland from the most deprived (rank 1) to the least deprived (rank 890).
They include ranks of the areas for each of 7 distinct types (or domains) of deprivation, which have been combined to produce an overall multiple deprivation measure (MDM) rank of the areas.
Deprivation quintiles
1 - Most deprived 2 3 4 5 - Least deprived
Appendix B: Confidence intervals
A confidence interval represents the range of values in which the true population value is likely to lie. It is based on the sample estimate and the confidence level. As the percentages are calculated from a representative sample of the Northern Ireland population (aged 16 and over), a confidence interval can be calculated to estimate the level of uncertainty in the sample estimate.
95% confidence intervals were calculated for the headline figures. Table B1 summarizes the confidence intervals for satisfaction with Walking and Cycling and Northern Ireland.
Table B1: Confidence intervals for Active and Sustainable Travel in Northern Ireland
| Measure | Estimate (%) | Sample (n) | 95% Confidence Range +/- | Confidence Interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % who work to/from work | 12 | 1,134 | 2 | 10-14% |
| % who cycle to/from work | 2 | 1,126 | 2 | 0-4% |
| % who are satisfied with the current situation for walking and walkers in their local area at present. | 65 | 2,501 | 2 | 63-67% |
| % who are likely to walk short journeys (up to 2 miles/3km) | 64 | 2,513 | 2 | 62-66% |
| % who are satisfied with the current situation for cycling and cyclists in their local area at present. | 52 | 2,293 | 2 | 50-54% |
| % who are likely to cycle short journeys (up to 3 miles/5km) | 20 | 2,477 | 2 | 18-22% |
The 95% confidence interval for respondents who walk to or from work is 12% +/- 2%. This means that there is a 95% probability that the proportion of the Northern Ireland adult population who walk to or from work lies between 10% and 14%.
The 95% confidence interval for respondents who cycle to or from work is 2% +/- 2%. This means that there is a 95% probability that the proportion of the Northern Ireland adult population who cycle to or from work lies between 0% and 4%.
The 95% confidence interval for respondents who are satisfied with the current situation for walking and walkers in their local area at present is 65% +/- 2%. This means that there is a 95% probability that the proportion of the Northern Ireland adult population who are satisfied with the current situation for walking and walkers in their local area at present lies between 63% and 67%.
The 95% confidence interval for respondents who are likely to walk short journeys is 64% +/- 2%. This means that there is a 95% probability that the proportion of the Northern Ireland adult population who are likely to walk short journeys lies between 62% and 66%.
The 95% confidence interval for respondents who are satisfied with the current situation for cycling and cyclists in their local area at present is 52% +/- 2%. This means that there is a 95% probability that the proportion of the Northern Ireland adult population who are satisfied with the current situation for cycling and cyclists in their local area at present lies between 50% and 54%.
The 95% confidence interval for respondents who are likely to cycle short journeys is 20% +/- 2%. This means that there is a 95% probability that the proportion of the Northern Ireland adult population who are likely to cycle short journeys lies between 18% and 22%.
Appendix C: Active and Sustainable Travel in Northern Ireland Questionnaire
ACTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL
WALKING AND CYCLING
[ACTIVE1] Which of the following modes of transport would you consider to be ‘active travel’?
- Walking
- Cycling
- Bus
- Train
- Car/Van
- Motorcycle/Scooter/Moped
- Taxi
- Other
[WALK5] Are you satisfied with the current situation for walking and walkers in your local area at present? By this I mean condition of footpaths, pedestrian crossings, street lighting etc.
- Yes
- No
[WALK7] Would you be likely to walk any journeys you have to make that are up to 2 miles / 3kms?
- Yes
- No
[CYCLE5] Are you satisfied with the current situation for cycling and cyclists in your local area at present?
- Yes
- No
[CYCLE7] Would you be likely to cycle any journeys you have to make that are up to 3 miles / 5kms?
- Yes
- No
WALKING/CYCLING TO/FROM WORK
[WALK1] I am now going to ask a few questions about how you get to work. Do you normally walk to or from work?
- Yes, I normally walk to and from work
- Yes, I normally walk to work OR from work i.e one way
- No
- Works from home
- Not currently in employment
[CYCLE1] Do you normally cycle to or from work?
- Yes, I normally walk to and from work
- Yes, I normally walk to work OR from work i.e one way
- No
- Works from home
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