Ordnance Survey (OS), the UK’s national mapping agency, has published new, highly detailed data on cycle lanes across Great Britain. This will help local authorities and central government promote walking, cycling, and wheeling as part of the UK’s active travel agenda, says UK Authority.
The data set, which includes information on lane locations, directions, widths, and connectivity, is designed to help public sector bodies manage existing infrastructure and identify gaps in provision. This data aligns with government guidance on cycle infrastructure design, offering a picture of where improvements could be made to encourage safer, more accessible routes, something the UK is in dire need of.
OS has made the data available in stages, with approximately 67%, about 4,140 miles, available through the OS National Geographic Database (NGD). Full coverage is expected by the end of March, following a phased rollout that began last September.
Local authorities are expected to use the data for asset management, planning safer routes, and assessing eligibility for funding. The information will also support Active Travel England, the Department for Transport, and Transport Wales in analysing road safety, measuring policy impact, and compiling national cycling statistics.
The data captures both segregated and marked cycle lanes, excluding routes that are part of the National Cycle Network unless they meet specific infrastructure criteria. Analysis of early findings in Bristol and Edinburgh reveals variations in provision. In Bristol, 62 miles of cycle lanes exist, with only two miles fully segregated from traffic. Edinburgh, meanwhile, has 113 miles of lanes, representing about 8% of its road network. “Ordnance Survey’s new cycle lane data gives local authorities the insight they need to plan and manage safer, better-connected routes, helping make active travel the easy choice,” said Dean Paulley, head of data products at Ordnance Survey.
The data is available under the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA), which provides geospatial services to public sector organisations at no cost. It follows the recent addition of bus lane data to the OS NGD Transport dataset, which will also reach full coverage in March.
Authorities and organisations can access the data via the OS Data Hub, through APIs or direct downloads.
(Picture: Glasgow City Council)
