Overall trip numbers continue to grow

The number of trips that we make each year is still growing, with a 6% increase in trips taking us to 915 trips per person. However, this growth rate is less than half the 14% growth seen in the previous year, suggesting that trips numbers are starting to flatten out.

The come back to the commute stalls

The average person made fewer commuting trips in the last year, ending a trend of growth following the pandemic. Trips fell marginally on the previous year (117 trips in 2023 compared to 119 trips in 2022) and are still 31 trips per person down on the start of the decade. Rail season ticket revenue is still 66% below pre-pandemic levels, despite rail patronage recovering strongly overall, reflecting changes to working patterns post-Covid 19.

Shopping trips show strong growth

There was strong growth for shopping trips, with the average person making 169 trips a year, up 18 on the previous year. This corresponds with high street footfall increasing by 3% in the year but still down 11.5% on pre-pandemic levels.

Positive roots of growth for the bus

Bus patronage and vehicle kilometres grew over the last year in the city regions, with post-pandemic growth continuing. Some city regions have seen particularly strong patronage growth with Greater Manchester (12%) and West Yorkshire (12%), growing at almost double the national rate (7%).

There has also been an increase in service provision, with the city regions on average seeing bus kilometres increase by 3% in the last year. Whilst provision is still almost 14% beneath pre-pandemic levels, this is a step in the right direction.

Strong signals for heavy and light rail

Rail patronage continued its strong post-pandemic growth, with trips growing 16% in 2023/24 compared to the previous year. This growth has been largely driven by leisure and business trips. If this trend continues, rail patronage could surpass pre-pandemic levels in the next year.

Light rail patronage grew by 8% in the last year, a trend which will likely see a number of networks hit record levels of patronage within the next year.

Where we invest in active travel schemes, users continue to come

Although national cycling levels have remained largely static over the last ten years, where we have invested in infrastructure we are seeing positive trends. London is reporting that cycling levels grew 5% in 2024 and are now 26% above pre-pandemic levels. Similarly, key routes in Greater Manchester have seen their busiest days ever in the last year, with October seeing up to 7,000 cyclists using the Oxford Road cycleway, compared to a monthly high of under 6,000 in 2019.

Increases in car trips and distance driven on our roads

The number of trips people make by private car increased 9% in the last year nationally, with the distance travelled in a private car increasing by 2% across the city regions. Although the number of miles driven is still below pre-pandemic levels, if this growth continues, those levels will soon be surpassed.

Green shoots for city region economies

In the most recent year available (2022), the North East (9.5%), Greater Manchester (9.4%), and London (9.8%) all grew at a faster rate per head of population than the UK average (8.8%).

This is a positive sign that we are beginning to unlock the economic potential of our city regions. Transport investment and further devolution are among the keys required to unlock further growth.