More bikes than cars at morning rush hour for the first time on Leith Walk
- More bikes than cars at morning rush hour for the first time on Leith Walk, Edinburgh
- 67,572 cycle journeys recorded on Leith Walk in the month of May, a 25% increase on May 2025
- Record share of journeys on York Place being made by bike
New traffic data analysed by Cycling Scotland, Scotland’s national cycling charity, shows the continuing success of high-quality cycle lanes, with record levels of cycling seen on key routes in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Over a 48-hour period in May 2026, traffic surveys recorded 5,653 bike journeys on Edinburgh’s Leith Walk – a record at this location.
Cycle journeys accounted for 11% of all methods of travel on Leith Walk, with more bikes than cars counted during one morning rush hour period (8-9am, Wednesday 13th May) – the first time this has been observed on an on-street cycle route in Edinburgh.
On nearby York Place, where protected cycle lanes now connect the City Centre West East Link route to Leith Walk, 2,018 bikes were recorded over the 48-hour period, amounting to 4.7% of all travel methods recorded, both marking new records for the location.
This cycling modal share is a significant increase on the first survey conducted on York Place in May 2021, when bikes accounted for only 2.1% of journeys – a sign of the growing impact of the new cycling infrastructure.
In addition to results from this 48-hour traffic survey, a permanent cycle counter on Picardy Place at the top of Leith Walk has been recording its highest levels of cycle traffic in 2026. 67,572 cycle journeys were recorded through all of May 2026 compared with 54,193 throughout May 2025 (an increase of 25%).
Great Junction Street in Leith saw a record 2,043 bikes counted over the two days, with a cycling modal share of 4.4%. This follows the recent completion of Leith Connections project, with a new protected cycle lane connecting Leith Walk to Commercial Street.
At all of these locations, strong peaks in cycling were seen at morning and evening rush hours, indicating that more people are travelling by bike for everyday journeys, like commuting to and from work.
Analysis of traffic levels also shows that long-term increases in cycling modal share at these locations are primarily due to more people cycling, rather than any corresponding decrease in vehicle traffic.
Traffic surveys carried out by Cycling Scotland, in partnership with local authorities, involve a temporary camera counting all passing traffic at more than 50 locations across Scotland. The surveys count all travel modes including pedestrians, bikes, cars, buses, vans and larger goods vehicles.
Conducted biannually each May and September, with funding from Transport Scotland, these nationwide traffic surveys help to track changes in modal share, highlighting how new high-quality cycle routes are supporting more people to make sustainable journeys.
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport Stephen Flynn said: “I am pleased to see Cycling Scotland’s latest figures on cycle lane use in Edinburgh. The record levels of use across the city particularly on Edinburgh’s City Centre West-East Link demonstrates the infrastructure we are providing is helping more people than ever travel by bike for everyday journeys.
“Active travel is pivotal in helping people save money, improve their health and reduce transport emissions – walking, wheeling and cycling is transformational for both people and planet.
“We are investing £226 million in active and sustainable travel this year, and the evidence shown by these figures highlights how this funding is creating safer and easier routes that will lead to more people choosing to walk, wheel and cycle for everyday journeys.”
Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, Edinburgh City Council Transport and Environment Convener, said: “These new figures speak for themselves.
“Over the last year, we’ve seen city cycling records being consistently broken. This is a direct consequence of our commitment to creating and improving cycling infrastructure across Edinburgh, as part of our City Mobility Plan.
“We’ve also seen the overwhelming popularity and success of our cycle hire scheme, delivered by Voi, providing a convenient and economic way for people to get around.
“It’s never been easier to cycle in the Capital, so I’d encourage anyone thinking about it to give it a try.”
Keith Irving, Chief Executive of Cycling Scotland, said: “What we see clearly from the data is where Edinburgh invests in protected cycle lanes and improved networks of cycling routes, more people are travelling by bike.
“The high volumes of cycling that we continue to see around morning rush hour tells its own story, with people evidently using these new routes to make everyday journeys by bike, including to work. We’re also seeing signs of a strong network effect, as routes begin to join together and make more journeys possible.
“Altogether, more people cycling is a net benefit for everyone, for our health, for reducing harmful pollution and reducing congestion on our streets. We need more safe cycling routes, to bring these advantages to more people across Edinburgh and Scotland.”