New global data out this week shows a mixed picture for Greater Manchester on everyday cycling – with some areas making progress, while others remain well below the national average.
This is the latest annual City Ratings from PeopleForBikes – which scores cities out of 100 based on how safe and connected their cycling networks are. Manchester performs relatively well, but other boroughs including Bury, Oldham and Rochdale continue to fall behind both the UK and European leaders.
The latest City Ratings, a data analysis tool ranking global cities and towns for how amenable they are to cycling has been released – with thousands of locations across the globe analysed.
The new annualised data shows that the gap between London and the rest of the United Kingdom persists, whilst the nation as a whole has shown no improvement from last year in relation to its performance compared to European countries.
City Ratings scores and rankings measure the quality and connectivity to local amenities of a city’s bike network, including the efficacy of protected bike lanes, low-speed limits, and safe crossings. All ratings are out of 100.
The City of Manchester has again come out on top in the region, with a rating of 65, marginally higher than 64 last year. This is followed by Wigan (58) and Salford (55), neither of which change position from their ranking in 2024. Despite the City of Manchester scoring highly, the region as a whole trails London and sits in joint last place of the regions ranked (alongside the West Midlands).
The wider lack of progress will be considerably worrying to those cycling, active travel campaigners, and the UK cycling industry as a whole – which continues to significantly lag behind Europe when it comes to sales (source). In 2024, a new Labour Government was elected in the UK. Whilst they have moved away from the transport ‘culture war’ which the previous Government had leaned into (cutting funding for active travel and countering a perceived ‘war on motorists’), there has been limited signs of progress when it comes to delivery on cycling infrastructure.
Most concerning is the delay in the introduction of the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS3). The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that it missed the March deadline for publishing a strategy, with no consultation having taken place (a legal requirement). Now five years on from the launch of Gear Change, the previous Government’s flagship approach to cycling, and two years since the establishment of Active Travel England, the data from PeopleForBikes highlights what little provision there is for safe cycling on the whole.
As with last year, the data includes ratings for London, Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, Yorkshire, Oxford, Cambridge and more. However, there are a number of new locations rated this year, as the City Ratings programme expands worldwide. These new locations include Brighton and Hove and Stevenage, and bring the total number in the United Kingdom to 107, up from 83 last year.
Whilst the City of Manchester leads the region, the three worst locations are again Bury (40), Oldham (44) and Rochdale (45) – all of which have seen little or no improvements compared to 2024.
When looking at regional averages of those rated, London has a rating of 70, up ever so slightly from 69 last year. This is followed by Hertfordshire, which has an average rating of 56 – in part due to Stevenage scoring a high 75. One of the post-war New Towns, Stevenage has a high quality cycle network which is segregated and well-linked. The region with the third highest average rating is North Yorkshire with an average of 53, followed by Greater Manchester and the West Midlands both on 50.
If the region is to close the gap with national leaders, it will require follow-through: safer streets, joined-up networks and sustained delivery.
In order to understand the gap between London and the rest of the UK, it is important to look at the overall average ratings. As we know, London has an average rating of 70 (up from 69 last year), whilst the average rating for all locations outside of London is 57 (up slightly from 54 last year). The gap between the two has dropped ever so slightly, down from 15 to 14 – a negligible difference.
When looking at the ratings for European locations, four countries fill the top ten. Unsurprisingly, The Netherlands has six; Delft (89), The Hague (89), Nijmegen (86), Eindhoven (86), Utrecht (85), and Almere (85). France has two; Paris (89) and Lyon (86). Belgium has two; Brussels (87) and Leuven (85). Germany has one; Munich (85).
Paris continues to see the benefits of the significant transport policies introduced by Mayor Anne Hidalgo, as it comes in joint first place for European locations alongside The Hague and Delft. When compared to European cities, just two UK locations are ranked in the top 20 overall. Cambridge comes in 16th place with a rating of 84, and Hackney comes in 17th place with a rating of 83, down from 13th place last year. Both Islington and Southwark have dropped out of the top 20, having been ranked 15th and 19th respectively in 2024. This lack of representation in the top 20 European locations is a sign of the little progress that has been made overall in the UK.
This lack of representation in the top 20 European locations is a sign of the little progress that has been made overall in the UK.
This year, campaigners from PeopleForBikes contacted a wide range of Local Authority politicians and Members of Parliament to share the findings and offer further data and information.
Afzan Khan, Member of Parliament for Manchester Rusholme, said:
“I am proud to see that Manchester Rusholme has rated even higher this year and is the highest rated area in Greater Manchester by PeopleForBikes. Walking, cycling, and wheeling is an important part of keeping our communities healthy – from improving our air quality to getting more exercise.”
“This growing rating is important in showing a positive step forward and I will continue to support the calls for more active travel in Manchester.”
Jenn Dice, PeopleForBikes President and CEO, said:
“This year’s City Ratings highlight the progress being made in parts of the UK and the ongoing need for greater investment in safe, connected cycling lanes nationwide. We know that when cities invest in better infrastructure, more people choose to ride, and that leads to wide-ranging benefits like reduced congestion and better health outcomes,”
“These findings give decision-makers and advocates the evidence they need to take bold, informed action to make bicycling a more accessible and appealing option for everyone.”
Harry Gray, Walk Ride Greater Manchester said:
‘’We welcome Manchester’s progress in 2025, but stagnation across the other boroughs shows Greater Manchester isn’t doing enough to build the Active Bee Network.
‘’In some areas, political will is lacking – councils do not even have dedicated active travel officers; In others like Manchester and Trafford, political ambition exists, but isn’t being matched by funding from Andy Burnham or central government.
‘’We call for a significant share of this year’s devolution funding to be allocated to Active Travel.’’
