Mapping out the future of cycling

Local authorities seeking to predict demand for cycling have had little in the way of tools for planning cycle routes. There has certainly been nothing widely accessible for councils seeking to measure future cycling demand. All that is about to change with the launch of the Propensity to Cycle Tool (PCT) in July 2016. This is the culmination of work commissioned by the Department for Transport in early 2015 to identify "parts of [England] with the greatest propensity to cycle". The tool overcomes a bottleneck in sustainable transport planning and visualises the results on a publicly available online mapping interface. By showing local health and emissions benefits, the PCT could also provide a powerful business case of investment in cycling.