Bristol's Gloucester Road sees number of cyclists double and cars drop by a fifth

The number of cyclists using bike lanes on a busy Bristol road has doubled since the turn of the century, while car usage has dropped by one fifth.

According to the Bristol Post, the cycle lanes on Gloucester Road, to the north of the city, are often criticised for their stop-start nature, but the infrastructure seems to work after traffic survey figures were released.

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While in 2000, a traffic count saw just 810 bikes, 12,084 cars and 743 buses using the road, a similar count in 2013 recorded 1,654 bikes, 9,656 cars and 607 buses during a peak time.

A spokesman for the Bristol Cycling Campaign told the Post: “Who knew that Gloucester Road was a brilliantly successful cycle route?"

“If a road like this, with very poor provision for cycling can show a steady increase in cycling over a sustained period we can be very confident that Bristol City Council is right in making cycling a significant part of its transport policy for the future.

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“People are making a big effort to use bicycles even on roads like this.

“Whatever the underlying causes, the message is clear – cycling can thrive in adverse conditions and if given proper space it could make a huge contribution to public health, to well-being, and to the economy of Bristol.”