Manchester Showcase their vision all the way back in 2018

Building a cycling culture: Manchester’s City of Cycling in action

Infrastructure alone doesn’t change behaviour – people do. Through its City of Cycling initiative, Manchester City Council has taken a whole‑system approach to behaviour change

Published: 22 May 2026

Image: Manchester Showcased their vision for the future of cycling at Cycle City Manchester all the way back in 2018. Event organised by Landor LINKS

Combining infrastructure investment with engagement, inclusion and community‑led programmes has helped Manchester to make cycling a normal, everyday choice and to accelerate progress towards a zero‑carbon city.

Changing travel behaviour is one of the most complex challenges in transport policy. Habits are deeply ingrained and shaped by convenience, cost, safety perceptions and social norms. While infrastructure is essential, it does not automatically translate into use – particularly for people who may not see cycling as something “for them”.

In Manchester, car dependency remained high for short everyday journeys. Cycling was often perceived as unsafe or inaccessible, particularly for families, women, older residents, ethnic minority communities and people on lower incomes. Confidence, affordability and cultural barriers limited uptake, reinforcing the need for a behaviour‑led approach alongside investment in protected routes and the Bee Network.

The City of Cycling vision

City of Cycling brings together infrastructure, behaviour change and culture under a single, bold identity. Building on Manchester’s designation as Europe’s first ACES Capital of Cycling for 2024, the initiative moved beyond isolated projects towards a long‑term cultural shift.

Its objectives are to increase cycling participation, make cycling accessible to all communities, and embed cycling as a normal, inclusive and sustainable way to travel. The programme focuses on everyday journeys rather than creating a niche group of cyclists, so enabling more people to cycle to school, work, shops and social activities.

A whole‑system behaviour change programme

City of Cycling delivers a coordinated programme designed to remove practical and cultural barriers. Community engagement is central, with inclusive events such as Active Streets, family fun days and pop‑up bike hubs creating welcoming, traffic‑free spaces to try cycling. Free bike repair sessions have addressed cost barriers while rebuilding confidence.

Training and skills development have created lasting capacity, including Ride Leader training and initiatives such as Big Bike Revival to help adults return to cycling. Schools and workplaces play a key role, supporting early habit‑forming and everyday travel.

High‑profile events and campaigns – including Lights Up, Eid Cycle Fest, Sparkle Cycle and the first Black Unity Bike Ride hosted outside London – have celebrated cycling, challenged stereotypes and reflected the diversity of Manchester.

Carbon and transport impact

The City of Cycling programme has delivered clear and measurable transport and carbon outcomes. Between 2019 and 2024, daily cycling trips increased from around 61,000 to approximately 116,000 – growth of almost 90%. Cycling’s share of all trips nearly doubled from 4.9% to 9.0%, signalling a significant shift away from car use.

Most growth came from short journeys of 5 km or less. Using an average cycling trip length of 4.66 km, this increase is estimated to save around 16,900 tonnes of CO₂ per year, assuming like‑for‑like replacement of car trips.

High‑profile corridors demonstrate this change. Oxford Road recorded 1.4 million cycling journeys in 2025 – a 30% increase compared to 2019 – with 29 days exceeding 6,000 riders and a single‑day record of 7,527 journeys. Completion of the 6.5 km Manchester‑to‑Chorlton Cycleway has further accelerated change, with post‑completion monitoring showing cycling volumes along the route up by 50.1%.

Manchester City Council Awarded the Trophy for Best Behaviour Change and Public Engagement Award in 2026

Why this stood out

City of Cycling stood out by delivering behaviour change at scale. Rather than isolated promotion, Manchester aligned partners, communities and data behind a shared vision. Almost 200 events were delivered in a single year, supported by micro‑grants for grassroots activity and a strong focus on under‑represented groups.

Judges praised the programme as “a fantastic array of initiatives, driven by multiple organisations, which almost doubled daily trips by bike in just five years”.

Reaching communities

Reaching under‑represented communities has been a core strength. Programmes are locally led, affordable and culturally relevant, delivered with trusted partners. Women‑only and culturally sensitive sessions provided safe spaces, while targeted events and small grants empowered communities to shape activity that resonated with local needs.

City of Cycling aims to normalise cycling as an everyday activity. Messaging focuses on ordinary people making ordinary journeys. Inclusive imagery, real‑life stories and milestone celebrations – such as the millionth journey on Oxford Road – have helped make cycling visible, relatable and achievable.

Delivery and partnerships

The programme is delivered through a strong partnership including Manchester City Council, MCRactive, Transport for Greater Manchester, British Cycling, Cycling UK, Bee Pedal Ready, Manchester Metropolitan University, Marketing Manchester and community organisations. Shared branding and coordination ensure behaviour change activity aligns with infrastructure delivery and public health priorities.

Challenges and lessons learned

Behaviour change takes time. Cultural resistance, network gaps and the need for sustained funding remain challenges. A key lesson has been the importance of consistency: repeated engagement, combined with visible infrastructure, gradually builds confidence and trust.

The launch of Manchester’s five‑year City of Cycling Implementation Plan in March 2026 marked the transition into long‑term delivery. The Plan aligns behaviour change, access, infrastructure, leadership and communications under a single framework so that progress can be sustained and scaled.

Over the next decade, success will mean continued growth in short everyday cycling trips, lasting cultural change across all communities, and cycling embedded within policy, planning and local decision‑making. The Implementation Plan provides both a strategic roadmap and a practical delivery framework for the next phase of City of Cycling.

What happens next?

The focus now is on delivery. Priorities include expanding community‑led programmes, increasing targeted support for under‑represented groups, and embedding cycling into schools, neighbourhoods and workplaces.

Commitments include continued roll‑out of School Streets – with the ambition of at least one scheme in every ward – alongside more cycle hangars, e‑bike access, bike libraries and affordable cycling initiatives. Delivery will remain aligned with the Bee Network so that new infrastructure is matched with engagement and training that builds confidence to use it.

Behaviour change is essential to achieving net zero. Infrastructure creates the conditions for change, but without addressing confidence, affordability and culture, it cannot deliver the scale of modal shift required. City of Cycling shows how behaviour‑led programmes unlock the full carbon benefits of cycling investment.

This work is motivated by the belief that transport can improve lives. The most rewarding moments come from seeing people cycle for the first time – or return to cycling after years away – and knowing the system has changed enough to support them.