Cycling has been declared the quickest way to tackle your morning commute – in Bristol, England at least. Staff from the University of the West of England (UWE) wanted to find out which mode of transport was the fastest and most satisfying way to travel 3.5 miles across the city during the morning rush hour.
In a not-very-scientific-at-all test, a cyclist, jogger, bus passenger and car driver all set off from the same point in Gloucester Road at the same time last Thursday and raced to be the first to arrive at the university's main Frenchay Campus.
It was the cyclist who ended up taking the honours, arriving in just 17 minutes at an average speed of 12.39mph. The runner also fared well, arriving in 28 minutes at an average of 6.94mph. The guys using motorised transport brought up the rear, with the bus user taking 39 minutes and the motorist arriving after 53 minutes, having averaged a paltry 4.68mph.
The event was held as part of the University's Sustainability Week. Organiser Vicki Harris said: “We're delighted that the cyclist and the runner came first and second as these two modes of transport produce the lowest carbon footprints of all travel modes. It's also fantastic to have proof that the bus journey overtook the car – a testimony to the efficacy of bus lanes.”
