New research from Lime has shown that the majority of women face barriers to cycling, with poorly lit streets and isolated routes among the top concerns cited. The Tackling the Gender Pedal Gap report also found that women in the UK are cycling almost half as much as men every month as a result of these barriers.

Anti-social behaviour (36%) and fear of harassment from other road users (34%) were also listed as major deterrents for female cyclists. Only one in five women said they felt safe cycling alone at night and four times as many women as men (82%) said they view cars as a safer transport option when it’s dark.

The report, which was launched today by the television presenter and London cyclist, Angellica Bell, also looked into what changes women wanted on the roads that would help improve their feelings of personal safety when cycling after dark. These included more dedicated cycle lanes, better-lit parking areas to finish their cycle and more parking areas near their homes.

Speaking to Strong Women, Bell said there is a “pretty notable gap between female and male cyclists” and we need to create environments to get more women accessing the benefits of cycling.

“We long for more suitable cycle lanes and streetlights, to feel safe in the knowledge that we have a well-lit place close to home to park our bikes at night,” she said. “As women, we shouldn’t have to feel on high alert when travelling, whatever mode of transport we choose. Whether that’s on foot, car, bus, train or bike.”

Lime’s public affairs manager, Alice Pleasant, said the report identifies “substantial barriers” for women accessing cycling as a transport option, particularly at night: “We’re calling for solutions in three areas: infrastructure, integration with public transport and innovation.”

The Tackling the Gender Pedal Gap report lists five recommendations to improve women’s experiences of cycling:

The government and local authorities should build upon existing work to deliver more cycling infrastructure and parking bays.
Local authorities should also ensure there is street lighting on popular cycling routes and around parking bays.
The government should work with local authorities and charities to introduce cycling lessons or refresher courses in secondary schools.
Transport and mapping applications should introduce a feature to show well-lit routes home for cycling, with 66% of female cyclists saying they’d feel safer with this kind of map feature.
Lime will explore new product features to improve personal safety, such as a ‘Follow My Ride’ feature which would allow women to share their cycle journey with loved ones.

90% of women are put off cycling by these common barriers, new study suggests