The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has responsibility for the development of sustainable travel throughout Northern Ireland. This includes responsibility for both active travel policy and public transport policy. It 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. The Department also provides grants to fund a range of passenger transport services aimed at reducing rural and social isolation across Northern Ireland.
The Travel Survey for Northern Ireland reveals that on average we make around 900 journeys every year. Of these, around one third are less than two miles in length and many of these are much shorter. These are journeys that could and should be made by walking, cycling and public transport, yet many of them are still made by private car. Incorporating more walking and cycling into our everyday routines (including walking and cycling to and from public transport) could significantly increase levels of physical activity across the population with substantial benefits to physical and mental health and wellbeing at both the individual and societal levels.
Providing incentives for more sustainable and efficient ways of travelling such as walking, cycling and public transport as preferred choices could also contribute to reduced traffic congestion particularly in the peak am/pm commuter period, improved air quality and encourage healthier, more environmentally sustainable lifestyles which would bring many other economic benefits.
Through these activities the Department makes a key contribution to progress on NICS Outcomes Delivery Plan outcomes, in particular:
DfI first commissioned questions in the Continuous Household Survey 2017/18 to determine how satisfied people are with the walking, cycling and public transport provision in their local area; to explore the reasons for their level of satisfaction; and to gauge their willingness to walk journeys of up to 2 miles (3km); cycle journeys of up to 3 miles (5km); and take public transport for journeys of up to 6 miles (10km). This information will be used to assist the Department in focussing its policies on addressing the key issues that prevent people from taking up active travel and to encourage more people to use public transport. These questions have now been asked across two years of the survey and the most recent data are reported in this paper. Detailed tables are available here:
NB:
For the first time, in 2019/20, a question asking respondents “what modes of transport you would consider to be ‘active travel’?” was included within the Continuous Household Survey.
Almost 9 out of 10 (87%) respondents said they considered ‘walking’ to be active travel, while 4 in 5 (80%) said the same for ‘cycling’.
Respondents also said they consider bus (22%), car/van (20%), and train (19%) to be active travel.
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 2019/20, 59% of respondents said that they were satisfied with walking conditions in their area, a similar proportion to that reported in 2018/19 (61%). However, there has been a decrease in satisfaction when compared to 2017/18 (64%).
Respondents who were not satisfied with walking in their area were then asked to provide reasons why not. Similar to previous years, the most commonly given responses were ‘poor lighting at night’ (52%), ‘traffic goes too fast’ (50%), ‘poor footpath conditions’ (48%) and ‘not enough footpaths’ (45%). Ten of the most popular responses can be seen below, and the full range of responses is available in Table 2.2 of the associated data tables.
Those aged 16 to 24 (72%) were more likely to be satisfied with walking in their area than those aged 65 and over (58%). Among those aged 65 and over, the main reason for dissatisfaction was that ‘traffic goes too fast’.
Male respondents (64%) were more likely to be satisfied with walking in their area than female respondents (55%). For both males and females, the main reason they were not satisfied was ‘poor lighting at night’.
Respondents in urban areas (68%) were more likely to be satisfied with walking in their area than respondents in rural areas (45%). For those who were dissatisfied, the main reason given by urban respondents was ‘poor footpath condition’ (59%) whereas for rural respondents, ‘not enough footpaths’ was the main reason (65%).
These results are similar to those reported in 2018/19.
The proportion satisfied with walking facilities was highest among respondents living in Antrim & Newtownabbey District Council (65%) and Belfast City Council (65%) and lowest in Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (51%). Due to sample size at the local government district level, further analysis on reasons for dissatisfaction is not available.
More information on differences across respondent groups can be found in Table 2.1 of the associated data tables.
Over half of respondents (57%) said they were likely to walk short journeys (up to 2 miles/3 km), an increase from 2017/18 (54%).
All respondents were asked what would discourage them from walking short journeys and in 2019/20, the top reason given remains ‘bad weather’ (38% of respondents). Further reasons given include ‘lack of footpaths’ (26%), and ‘cars driving too quickly’ (23%). The most common reasons are presented below, and the full range of responses given can be found in Table 2.4.
Respondents aged 16 to 24 (69%) were more likely to walk short journeys than those aged 65 and over (40%). When considering the reasons why people would be discouraged from walking short journeys, those aged 16-24 were more likely to be put off by ‘bad weather’ (51%) while those aged 65+ cited ‘my health or mobility makes walking difficult or impossible’ (36%).
Those living in urban areas (63%) were more likely than those in rural areas (49%) to walk short journeys. The main reason those living in urban areas were likely to be discouraged from walking short journeys was ‘bad weather’ (41%) whereas the main reason that rural dwellers would be discouraged was ‘lack of footpaths’ (43%).
There was no difference between male respondents and female respondents in 2019/20.
Among Local Government Districts, the likelihood to walk short journeys was highest in Belfast City Council (65%) and Mid and East Antrim District Council (63%) and lowest in Mid Ulster District Council (57%).
More information on differences across respondent groups can be found in Table 2.3 of the associated data tables.
Half (50%) of respondents said they were satisfied with the current situation for cycling in their area; down from 55% in 2017/18.
Respondents who said they were not satisfied with the current situation for cycling in their area provided reasons they feel this way. Seven in ten respondents (71%) said ‘no cycle lanes’ which remains the most commonly given response since 2017/18 (69% of respondents). The ten most commonly selected responses are presented below with the full range of responses available in Table 3.2.
The age group with the highest proportion of those satisfied with the current situation for cycling and cyclists in their area was those aged 16-24 (57%) while the lowest proportion was those aged 50-64 (48%). The main reason given for dissatisfaction with cycling facilities was the same for all age groups – ‘no cycle lanes’.
Male respondents (53%) were more likely than female respondents (48%) to report being satisfied. For both males and females, the main reason given for dissatisfaction with cycling facilities was ‘no cycle lanes’.
Respondents living in urban areas (53%) were more likely than respondents living in rural areas (47%) to report being satisfied with cycling in their area. For both urban and rural respondents, the main reasons for dissatisfaction with cycling facilities was ‘no cycle lanes’.
Among Local Government Districts, satisfaction with the current cycling situation was highest in Causeway Coast & Glens District Council (62%) and lowest in Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (41%). Due to sample size at the local government district level, further analysis on reasons for dissatisfaction is not available.
More information on differences across respondent groups can be found in Table 3.1 of the associated data tables.
In 2019/20, 15% of respondents said they would be likely to cycle short distances (up to 3 miles/5 km), around the same as in 2018/19 (15%) and 2017/18 (17%).
The main reason respondents were not likely to cycle short journeys (up to 3 miles/5 km) remains ‘don’t own/have access to a bicycle’ (62%), with ‘too much traffic/too dangerous’ being the second most commonly chosen response (26% in 2019/20). These proportions are similar to those reported in previous years. The main reasons given are presented below and the full range of responses is available in Table 3.4.
Those aged 16-24 (18%) were more likely to cycle short journeys than those aged 65 and over (6%). Males (21%) were more likely to say they would cycle short journeys than females (10%). There was no real difference in the proportion of urban and rural respondents who were likely to cycle short distances.
For all respondent groups, ‘don’t own/or have access to a bicycle’ was the main reason discouraging them from cycling short journeys.
Among Local Government Districts, the likelihood to cycle short journeys was highest in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon District Council (21%) and lowest in Mid and East Antrim District Council (10%).
More information on differences across respondent groups can be found in Table 3.3 of the associated data tables.
In 2019/20, over three-quarters (76%) of respondents said they were satisfied with the public transport situation and facilities in their area. This is an increase from 2017/18, when 72% said they were satisfied with the public transport situation and facilities in their area.
Respondents who were not satisfied, were asked the reasons why. The most common reasons given were ‘not enough services’ (68%), ‘no direct services’ (47%), and ‘times not suitable’ (40%). In 2019/20, an additional question was asked of those who were satisfied, ‘are there any reasons that you are not satisfied?’ This and further breakdowns of what respondents were ‘satisfied’ and ‘not satisfied’ with in relation to public transport are available in Appendix C.
Satisfaction with public transport was highest among those aged 65 and over (81%) and lowest among those aged 50-64 (72%). A greater proportion of respondents in urban areas (82%) said they were satisfied with the public transport situation and facilities in their area than respondents in rural areas (66%). Satisfaction with the public transport situation and facilities was similar for males (77%) and females (74%).
Among all respondent groups, the main reason for dissatisfaction with the public transport situation was ‘not enough services’.
Satisfaction with public transport in their area was highest among respondents in Derry City and Strabane District Council (83%) and lowest among respondents in Fermanagh & Omagh District Council (69%). Due to sample size at the local government district level, further analysis on reasons for dissatisfaction is not available.
More information on differences across respondent groups can be found in Table 4.1 of the associated data tables.
In 2019/20, all respondents were asked how often they travelled on public transport and 30% said ‘never’. Those respondents who used public transport more frequently than never are considered ‘users’ of public transport. Users of public transport were then asked the reasons why / what encourages them to use public transport.
Of these, 50% said ‘I find it convenient’, 35% said ‘it is free’, 25% said ‘it is a cheap way to travel’, and 22% said ‘environmental reasons’ encourage them to use public transport. The top ten responses given in 2019/20 are presented below and the full range of responses are available in Table 4.4.
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 nature and aims of CHS are similar to those of the General Household Survey (GHS), which is carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in Great Britain. The Walking, Cycling and Public Transport in Northern Ireland questions which were commissioned by DfI are included in Appendix C of this report.
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 2019/20 CHS was based on a random sample of 9,000 domestic addresses drawn from the Land and Property Services list of addresses and interviews were sought with all adults aged 16 and over in these households. The survey is split into two versions with each version is distributed to around 4500 addresses. This dataset contains the records for 2,962 adults 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
Statistical tests have been carried out on these results and have determined that weighting is not required for this module. 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.
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
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, Cycling and Public Transport in Northern Ireland.
| Measure | Estimate (%) | Sample (n) | 95% Confidence Range +/- | Confidence Interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % who are satisfied with the current situation for walking and walkers in their local area at present. | 59 | 2,947 | 2 | 57-61% |
| % who are satisfied with the current situation for cycling and cyclists in their local area at present. | 50 | 2,731 | 2 | 48-52% |
| % who are satisfied with the current public transport situation and facilities in their local area at present. | 76 | 2,808 | 2 | 74-78% |
In 2019/20, additional questions were asked of respondents who were ‘satisfied’ with public transport and facilities to determine ‘For which of these reasons are you satisfied with public transport in your local area?’ 56% of those said ‘enough services’, and 54% said ‘reliable service’. The top 5 responses are included in Figure C1. The full range of responses is available on request.
In addition, respondents who were ‘satisfied’ with public transport and facilities in their area were also asked ‘are there any reasons that you are not satisfied with public transport in your local area?’ 21% of those said ‘it’s too expensive’ and 18% said ‘not enough services’. The top 5 responses are included in Figure C2. The full range of responses is available on request.
Respondents who said they were ‘not satisfied’ with public transport and facilities in their area were asked ‘are there any reasons that you are satisfied with public transport in your local area?’ 30% of those said ‘location of pick up points’ and 23% said there were ‘It’s simple to use’. The top 5 responses are included in Figure C3. The full range of responses is available on request.
CYCLING, WALKING, PUBLIC TRANSPORT
[ACTIVE1] SHOWCARD (ACTIVE TRAVEL)
Could you look at this Showcard and tell me what modes of transport you would consider to be ‘active travel’?
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
[WALKINTRO] The Department for Infrastructure will be working to develop proposals to provide well connected, safe, high quality walkways and cycleways, which will make walking a more attractive option for shorter journeys of around 2 miles / 3 kilometres and cycling for journeys of around 3 miles / 5 kilometres. This will have many benefits in terms of reducing pollution and harmful Greenhouse Gas emissions and contribute to better health and environmental outcomes.
[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.
Why are you not satisfied with the current situation for walking and walkers in your local area at present?
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
[WALK7] Would you be likely to walk any journeys you have to make that are up to 2 miles / 3kms?
Which of the options listed on the Showcard, if any, discourage you from walking short journeys of up to 2 miles / 3kms?
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
[CYCLE5] Are you satisfied with the current situation for cycling and cyclists in your local area at present?
[CYCLE6] SHOWCARD (CYCLING NOT SATISFIED)
Why are you not satisfied with the current situation for cycling and cyclists in your local area at present?
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
[CYCLE7] Would you be likely to cycle any journeys you have to make that are up to 3 miles / 5kms?
[CYCLE8] SHOWCARD (CYCLING DISCOURAGE)
Which of the options listed on the Showcard, if any, discourage you from cycling journeys of up to 3 miles / 5kms?
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
[PUBTRAN1] I am now going to ask a few questions about public transport use. How often do you travel on public transport (Glider/Metro/Ulsterbus/NI Rail)?
[TLINK5a] In general, are you satisfied with public transport in your local area at present?
[TLINK6b] SHOWCARD (PUBLIC TRANSPORT SATISFIED)
For which of these reasons are you satisfied with public transport in your local area? (If TLINK5a=1)
May I ask, are there any reasons that you are satisfied with public transport in your local area? (If TLINK5a=2)
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
[TLINK6] SHOWCARD (PUBLIC TRANSPORT NOT SATISFIED)
May I ask, are there any reasons that you are not satisfied with public transport in your local area?(If TLINK5a=1)
For which of these reasons are you not satisfied with public transport in your local area? (If TLINK5a=2)
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
(ASKED IF [PUBTRAN1] = 1 thru 8)
[TLINK9] SHOWCARD (PUBLIC TRANSPORT REASON)
Could you look at this Showcard and tell me the reasons that encourage you to use public transport?
CODE ALL THAT APPLY