Footfall higher in Newcastle's city centre on Monday than pre-Covid

Footfall in Newcastle's city centre on Monday was 13% higher than on the equivalent pre-Covid day in 2019.

With shops and pubs reopening for the first time since January, thousands of people flocked back into the city centre.

The number of people counted walking up and down Northumberland Street between 10am and 4pm on the day that lockdown measures eased was 4,679 per hour on average – more than three times higher than the 1,410 during the same period last Friday.

Newcastle City Council said that represented a 13% increase when compared to the second Monday in April 2019.

However, it was not quite as busy as it was during a Christmas shopping surge last December following the end of England’s second lockdown – when the city centre was 36% busier than the previous year.

Prof Phil James, of Newcastle University’s Urban Observatory, says that footfall numbers are now “pretty much back to normal”.

The major increase, which was also comparable to levels seen last summer after the first national lockdown ended, came despite England still being under considerable restrictions and many people still working from home.

On the roads, the observatory’s data showed that traffic levels across Tyne and Wear were slightly higher than pre-Covid Monday figures – and Prof James says they have been “pretty high” for some time.

The city council said that traffic volumes between 8am and 6pm on Monday were 34% higher than the average during lockdown 3.0, peaking at a 51% rise between 11am and midday.

After an initial drop when the public health crisis first hit, traffic and air pollution levels were said to be back at pre-pandemic levels on key commuter routes last September.

On the Tyne and Wear Metro, however, bosses estimate that passenger levels were only around 55% of normal on Monday – suggesting that many people who would previously have used public transport are choosing to get into their cars instead.

Prof James said:

“From all the metrics we can see on pedestrian footfall, traffic, car parks, they are all back to pretty much normal as far as we can tell.

“There are a lot of us still working from home, so the numbers suggest that more people are using cars who didn’t before Covid if traffic is going up and people are avoiding public transport.”

Christine Herriot, director of operations and regulatory services at Newcastle City Council, added:

“We had a very positive day on the first day of the easing of restrictions, with high footfall, venues and queues well managed, and the public behaving very responsibly.

“The main car parks on Percy Street were busy, particularly at lunch time, so we are encouraging people to consider shopping at quieter times and to use public transport when accessing the city centre.

“And we must all remember the basic rules of hands, face, space and fresh air.”

Metro bosses said that there were 49,000 journeys on the network on Monday and that footfall was roughly 55% of pre-Covid levels.

That was a significant jump from last week’s 30%, but the figure is expected to drop back down again following the initial surge as people rushed back to pubs and shops.

The Metro has needed more than £40 million in government bailout cash to keep trains running through the pandemic criss, with ticket revenue collapsing, and its current funding runs only to June 21 – the day when the government hopes all lockdown measures can be lifted.

A Nexus spokesperson said:

“These are some of the highest passenger numbers we have seen since the late summer of 2020.

“Metro is a transport system that has a key role to play in our region’s recovery from the Covid-19 restrictions. It’s there when people need to use it.

“The Government’s advice is to minimise travel, where possible, observe social distancing and good hand hygiene, and remember that face are mandatory on public transport unless you have an exemption. If everyone is able to follow these rules then we can all play a part in defeating this public health emergency.

"Customers should have the confidence to use Metro. We have put in place a completely Covid-secure network. These measures include signage and queueing systems, extra deep cleaning on a daily basis with disinfectant, the use of a specialist anti-microbial spray to protect high touch surfaces for 28 days, UV light sanitisers on escalators, and hand sanitiser points at key locations.”

By Daniel Holland